


PokeDom Mystery Dungeon

by Your_Buddy_Kieth



Series: Quest Archives [1]
Category: Pokemon Mystery Dungeon
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi, Quests, cutedom
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-19
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:29:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 6
Words: 84,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28161702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Your_Buddy_Kieth/pseuds/Your_Buddy_Kieth
Summary: This is an archive of a quest I run on /trash/ sometimes. All art made for the quest is from anons in the thread.
Series: Quest Archives [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2063112
Comments: 8
Kudos: 13





	1. Entering the Game

** >Quest Start: PokeDom Mystery Dungeon **

  
It's late in the afternoon and you're laying in your bed, nagged at by hunger to get up and find something to eat. But your blankets are warm, and your poorly heated apartment is cold. Another beautiful day in the quarantine.

Your voltorb-themed alarm clock goes off again. With one hand you reach out and try to hit the snooze again, only to find your hand landing in water. Pouring water. Confused, you sit up and see a glowing golden ring in front of your alarm clock. On the other side is water, pouring out into your room. A barboach slides out and flops onto the floor, flailing around in a fright. The ring moves and changes in angle, launching the ice cold water into your face and causing you to splutter.

Just like that you're sitting up in a rapidly soaking bed. The ring shrinks down and the water stops. You notice a floating creature when the ring flies back into its hand.

"Rise and shiny sleepyhead!"

You blink the water out of your eyes and wonder if you are still dreaming. It looks like the legendary Hoopa is floating in the middle of your room.

"Well? You know who I am. Aren't you going to introduce yourself?"

** >What is your name? **   
** >Introduce yourself? **

** **

* * *

  * I vote for "Murdoch". Say it while stuttering, tell Hoopa teleporting persons without their previous consent is very rude in the most polite manner.
  * Oh shit, here we go. Murdoch will work. Wonder if the quarantine isolation has driven him crazy in a cool way and just decide play along with whatever nonsense this thing has to offer. 
  * Proposing Mitch as our name. Perhaps we should check if we're asleep? All this shit that just happened surely can't be real 



* * *

**> Murdoch**

"M-Murdoch, sir. I don't know if you know b-but teleporting persons without their previous consent is very rude."  
  
Hoopa's playful smile widens, revealing his sharp teeth.  
  
"Oh, how rude of me! I'll make sure to ask next time."

You take your eyes off of him for a second to pinch your arm and check if you are asleep. The pinch stings and you flinch. Then you see a golden ring coming down around you and shrinking down. It pins your arms to your sides!  
  
You look up and see Hoopa right up in your face.  
  
"I just remembered! I don't have to do what you say, because you're a weak little human. Isn't that right?"  
  
Hoopa pulls you forward off of your bed and holds you in the air by his ring. Its grip hurts your arms, clenching tightly around you.  
  
"What exactly CAN you do Murry? Other than sleep. I've already seen you're great at that."  
  
 **> Select 3 Skills for Murdoch**

* * *

  * Baking is fun and useful! 
  * He knows astonish. 
  * Very open ended. I'll say bartering, making deals to get the best out of a bad situation. 
  * Murdoch is good at following orders! Wait, that's not a skill? Well, it has to be one for him because he certainly knows how act like a total ass-kisser for others (convince through submission). 
  * Seconding bartering 



* * *

**> Baking**

"W-well Hoopa sir, if I do say so myself I enjoy to bake!"

 **> Astonish: Magic Tricks**  
  
"I also know a magic trick or two to uh, a- astonish and amaze!"

 **> Dealmaking**  
  
"And I know how to m-make the best of things, with people. Y-you know. Making sure everybody gets what they want."  
  
Hoopa cradles your chin with his little hand, looking into your eyes.  
  
"Do you know what I want Murry?"  
  
He leans in closer, closer. His lips an inch from yours'. You can feel a tingling in your skin from such closeness hovering near you. Is he going to do what you think he is?  
  
Then just when he opens his mouth and you think he's going for it, Hoopa pulls back. His smile is back as he watches your astonishment.  
  
"Not yet. That's an impressive resume Murry! But I know you're more than just an impressive specimen. Or maybe less is a better word."  
  
He floats up to your shoulder and cups your cheek.  
  
"I know all your weaknesses Murry."  
  
You feel a squeeze from a hand cupping one of your other cheeks. In the corner of your eye you see one of Hoopa's arms reaching through a portal.  
  
"And all of your... weaknesses~ if you catch my meaning. Want me to list them for you?"  
  
You can only float, stuck, and listen as Hoopa lists off your most embarrassing flaws and kinks.  
  
 **> Select 3 Incompetencies for Murdoch: Skills he is bad at**  
 **> Select 2 Fetishes for Murdoch**

* * *

  * Klutzy.  
Easily Aroused. 
  * Weak-willed, a bit of a pushover.

Petplay. 

  * Bad sense of direction. Paw fetish. 
  * Pet play and paws would be great! 
  * Thirding paw fetish.
  * Too honest for his own good, everyone knows immediately if he's trying to lie. He can't even keep his mouth shut if someone shows the slightest curiosity towards a secret he's keeping.

Small dicks. 

  * Gets anxious under pressure like the naive stupid boy he is, biting more than he can chew! He should've stay in his room and not mess up with Pokémon.

As for fetishes:  
Pet play! Please, pet play! But Murdoch can't let Hoopa know that little secret, he should try his best to hide his embarassing "weaknesses" from the Pokémon and pathetically deny it. Perhaps, that'd make Hoopa teach Murdoch not to question him in the rough way.




* * *

**> Clumsy, Pushover, Easily Lost**

**> Petplay, Paws**

"A pushover like you. So easily lost, so clumsy. Is it any wonder you're pushed around by your mother, pushed around by your boss. If you had one, you'd even be pushed around by your wife!"  
  
The tirade of insults slithers into your ears as Hoopa kneads and squeezes your buttcheek. Despite yourself you can feel a tent growing in your pants, and you aren't the only one who noticed.  
  
"It's a good thing you like it. Oh yeah. You like being collared and held like a dog don't you?"  
  
You shake your head. There's no way he can know. He's bluffing.  
  
"Aw, no need to be shy Murry. Let me indulge you."  
  
Another golden hoop floats down over your head and closes around your neck. Not too tight, not tight enough to cut off your air. Just enough for you to feel it, and remember who's in control.  
  
The hand not kneading your ass runs through your hair, petting you gently.  
  
"I can think of other things we can get up to. But first let's take a better look at you."  
  
Hoopa floats away to levitate in front of you, hand still stuck through the portal and feeling you up through your nightclothes.More than that you can feel the tingling of a Psychic sifting through your mind. You can feel all your best and worst qualities being laid bare.  
  
 **> Select 2 Stats for Murdoch to have Advantage in**  
 **> Select 2 Stats for Murdoch to have Disadvantage in**  
 **> You may take a 3rd Advantage at the cost of 2 more Disadvantages. Vote Yes or No for Overspecialization in your post**  
  
 **> Stats:**  
Fitness - Physical strength, speed and flexibility  
Power - The ability to command a Pokemon's supernatural abilities. Useless for a human  
Intelligence - Book smarts and intuition  
Charm - Social charms and likeability  
Willpower - Mental fortitude and focus under pressure  
Luck - Whether things just seem to go well, or not  
Lewd - Performance and stamina under the covers

* * *

  * Advantage in Charm.  
Disadvantage in Power.  
No overspecialization. 
  * Speed and luck +  
Power and charm - 
  * I'd say advantage in charms and luck and disadvantage in int and lewds.  
A cute dumb little quickshot sounds ideal to me. 
  * \+ Luck, Int  
\- Fit, Will 



* * *

** >Advantage: Intelligence, Luck **

**> Disadvantage: Power, Lewd**  
  
"It really is your lucky day isn't it?"  
  
Hoopa covers his mouth and giggles at the sight of your throbbing erection, pre dribbling out and staining the front of your pants.  
  
"If I keep going will you blow your top just from that? You really can't keep it together."  
  
A portal opens up behind Hoopa and he floats backwards into it, leaning on it. Behind him you can see green hills and fields, bathed in pleasant sunlight.  
  
"Before you pop your top how about we really get down to business. Why I came to you in the first place? It's part of a game! Every few years, some of us get together and each pick a human to become a Pokemon and lead a guild in our name!"  
  
Wait. Become a Pokemon? You?  
  
"Whoever's champion becomes the most successful guild in three years wins! You're honestly a pretty terrible pick. But this year I decided to make a joke pick and see what happens!"  
  
Another portal opens up above your bed, dropping a set of photographs onto it.  
  
"To begin with, we need to choose the Pokemon for you to become. Now I've narrowed it down to a couple on the shortlist. I CAN let you pick if you want, but you'll owe me a favor later~."  
  
Hoopa starts tapping each of the pictures in turn.  
  
"Just tell me when to stop if you want to. Eenie meenie minnie mo, catch Landorus by the toe..."  
  
 **> Choose your new form in exchange for a favor later?**  
 **> Or have it decided at random?**

* * *

  * Owe the favor, choose salandit. It's pretty fitting honestly
  * Delibird is a natural sub, it's really the only choice 
  * Damn, tough choice. Purrloin is nice, but doesn't fit Murdoch. Would be really nice as a partner tho. Delibird with a bag full of baked treats might be fun, but I personally think picking Rattata would be the best choice. Smart and weak and think of the pet play potential, if a Purrloin partner IS an option! 
  * RAT  
best to get dommed with 
  * Salandit. It's a naturally subby pokemon. 
  * Salandi



* * *

"Indecisive are you?"  
  
Hoopa's hand hovers between the two pictures you're drawn to the most. He starts counting down again.  
  
"Eenie meenie minnie mo... time's up! And you are it."  
  
His hand stops on one of the pictures and he picks it up, taping it to your forehead.  
  
"Such a slutty lizard toy you're going to be for some lucky guy or girl. You didn't think I was going to send you in without any help did you? I still want a CHANCE to win!"  
  
Another set of photos fall onto the bed, beneath you.  
  
"I have a few others who owe me a favor and I can set one of them up to be your guild's co-founder. Let me tell you a little about them!"  
  
 **> Select your partner:**

** **

Caesar (Joltik), Male  
Ability: Compoundeyes  
Advantage: Intelligence, Charm  
Disadvantage: Fitness, Will  
Skills: Webspinning, Bartering  
Incompetencies: Bad Fighter, Coward  
Fetishes: Bondage, Spelunking

Giselle (Ekans), Female  
Ability: Shed Skin  
Advantage: Fitness, Power  
Disadvantage: Luck, Lewd  
Skills: Photographic Memory, Sneaking  
Incompetencies: Virgin, Inexperienced  
Fetishes: Sex for the purpose of procreation

Senatus (Litwick), Male  
Ability: Flash Fire  
Advantage: Power, Lewd  
Disadvantage: Fitness, Charm  
Skills: Witchcraft, Cooking  
Incompetencies: Creepy Demeanor, Widely Disliked  
Fetishes: Soulplay, S&M

Astra (Salandit), Female  
Abilities: Corrosion  
Advantage: Fitness, Will  
Disadvantage: Intelligence, Luck  
Skills: Combat, Survival  
Incompetencies: Illiterate, Easily Lost  
Fetishes: Primal Sex

Victor (Noibat), Male  
Abilities: Telepathy  
Advantage: Intelligence, Will  
Disadvantage: Fitness, Lewd  
Skills: Reading, Writing  
Incompetencies: Neat Freak, Bad Fighter  
Fetishes: Dirty Talk

Gwen (Poochyena), Female  
Ability: Quick Feet  
Advantage: Fitness, Lewd  
Disadvantage: Power, Charm  
Skills: Combat, Intimidation  
Incompetencies: Not a Talker, Risktaker  
Fetishes: Worship (Receiving) 

* * *

  * G W E N 
  * I vote Gwen! 
  * Ave, true to Caesar. 
  * We could be the culinary dream team with the Litwick, the roasty ghosty. We'd be Bread and Dead. Bake and... salt shake? I dunno, but making food is a viable way to win this competition right?  
Also, freaky shit. It's a plus. 
  * Giselle 
  * Gwen 
  * This was an agonizing decision. Caeser, Astra, and Gwen all have huge potential.

I think I have to go with Gwen.




* * *

"I can't say I'm surprised you're drawn to Gwen. Given what I know about you, pet~."

Hoopa picks up her picture and holds it up, waving it in front of you. His other hand finally stops groping you as he pulls it back out of the portal.

"Her paws are very course and rough. I'm sure she'd appreciate a good massage!"

Plucking the photo from your forehead, Hoopa folds the two together and then holds out his palms, revealing them to be empty.

"But enough talk. It's time to become a new you."

A new ring opens up beneath you, swirling with manifold colors in a dazzling kaleidoscope. Looking at it too long dizzies you and you have to close your eyes. Suddenly, another face is pressed up against yours' while your eyes are closed. Hoopa bites your lip, forcing your mouth open in a gasp, and uses the chance to shove his tongue into your mouth. The golden collar around your neck tugs your face, pressing it into his. Straining against the confines if your pants, your dick surges with heat.

Then as soon as he initiated it, he's gone and you're falling! The ring holding your arms to your body, and you in the air, is gone. Falling through the blinding colors, lost as to which way is up and which way you're sailing. There's certainly no sign that you are slowing, and the colors keep on glowing!

Your pants are gone, and the air hitting your dick is just enough stimulation to push you over the edge. You close shut your abused eyes and throw your head back with a groan as you spray your seed into the void.

Thump! 

You land softly on your back, dazed and confused. You can feel cool grass against your back, the warm sun on your belly, your tail wagging slowly back and forth in the afterglow.

Tail?

You sit up. You are in a ditch of tall grass, in a field of rolling green hills. You recognize the place from behind Hoopa when he was lounging in one of his portals.

A growl draws your attention and you look up. A Poochyena is sitting on her haunches in the grass in front of you, next to a blue rucksack. She is glowering at you with eyes sharper than daggers. There are a few spurts of your cum dotting the fur on her chest, consequences of your rapidly shrinking erection.

"No. Not allowed."

Her deep, throaty voice snarls as she looks down at you.

"Your mess. Clean it up." 

* * *

  * Meekly apologize, figure out how walking works, and move over to her. Then realize that claws won't work to wipe cum off of fur and panic. 
  * Once we see our body double check to see if we are a shiny salandit 
  * Apologize for the mess and attempt to brush it out of her fur, then let her know that we'll be partners you hope.
  * >Cumming from cold air  
God I love it.  
Lick her chest clean. If the tongue is too much/intimate I'm sure she'll let us know.



* * *

You slip on the wet morning grass when you try to get to your feet and fall all over yourself. Your tail gets in the way when you try to sit up and you flail until you land on your belly.  
  
Gwen watches you with disappointment in her eyes.  
  
"We lose."  
  
Finally with your feet under you, you run your claws softly through her chest fur to scrape out your cum. But you only succeed in smearing it around more.  
  
"Clean it up."  
  
She repeats herself, ears flattened against her head. Your heart beats a little faster and you lean in closer, sticking out your tongue. It extends longer than you remember, tapering to a split pair of points. Gwen looks expectantly down at you.  
  
Taking her silence as permission you run your tongue up along the rough fur of her chest. The unpleasant texture of her messy fur mixes with the bitter taste of your cum and you flinch, eyes squeezed shut. You use your claws to gather up the messiest tufts of hair and lick them clean.  
  
You open up your eyes and inspect your work. Visible traces of your accident have been cleaned up, but now her hair is gathered into sticky clumps. You smooth it out for her and try to smile.  
  
"T-that's better right? Hoopa said we w- we would be partners. Right?"  
  
Gwen huffs. Her hot breath wafts against your face when she sighs.  
  
"Yes. Repay favor."  
  
Trying to stand on your hind legs, you find that your tail actually makes it easier this time. You look down at your four-fingered claws. The only white on them is the drying traces of your shame stuck to them. You are only a run of the mill male Salandit.  
  
Gwen stands up and turns away,  
  
"Follow. Lake. We wash better clean."  
  
You keep on her heels, but traveling on two legs is slow going and you keep almost falling forward onto your belly.

* * *

  * Experiment with walking on all fours to better keep up. Comment that Murdoch's circumstances were more of a kidnapping and ask what kind of favor she got that needs to commit 3 years of her life to repay. 
  * I think we picked right with Gwen. Our boy Murdoch will have good times ahead. 
  * Have him introduce himself and ask about what exactly they're supposed to be doing for Hoopa. 
  * Ask if she went through a similar encounter with the hoopa 



* * *

You give up on trying to stand up and flop to the ground. Walking on all fours feels strange and unnatural to you, and makes you feel very short. It is faster at least.  
  
Gwen slows down and waits for you to catch up, so as not to lose you in the tall grass.  
  
"S-so what did Hoopa do to get you to do this? Did he k-kidnap you too?"  
  
You can see her again and get a better look at her now. Her tail is hanging behind her, covering up the upskirt view you would be seeing otherwise. She has some old scars on her side.  
  
"No. Lose fight. Hoopa save."  
  
"O-oh."  
  
The tall grass parts to reveal a lake sparkling in the sunlight and your claws dig into the grassy sand of a small beach. Across the open water you can see tall walls of rock forming a cliff face. The shape of the indentation makes the lake look almost like a massive footprint that filled up with rain.  
  
"Why did Hoopa, that is, what are we supposed to do?"  
  
Wading into the shallow water, Gwen breaks the small lake waves that roll in around her legs. She lies down in the water to submerge the front of her that you messed up.  
  
"We start guild. We get famous. Come. Wash."

* * *

  * What does her breath smell like?

Also hold onto your individuality, try to retain the ability to walk on two legs. Only crawl on all fours if you have to. Purely to send a message you aren't a typical Pokemon to scare off enemies-- not remotely so you're constantly tripping and falling into the dirt and a target to be picked on by all Pokemon we encounter in the future.

Follow her to the lake, and try to sneak a peak under her tail to see if she has a fortune cookie or a Human-esque vagina. 

    * Let's not do that.  
One we are very easily aroused.  
Two this is our only company let's NOT pitcher off this early we already started off wrong by giving her an accidental pearl necklace. 
  * So Hoopa, for all the teasing, isn't cruel persay. Good to know.  
Crawl into the water and try not to drown, it's a good place to try to adjust to your new center of balance.  
Ask what Gwen thinks is the best way to gain some notoriety--is there a cave nearby or a treasure to hunt for?
  * Wade into the water and start rubbing at the offending area. Ask if she means like a craftsman's guild and inform her that Murdoch has baking skills. 



* * *

You expected her breath to smell worse, like dog breath. It smells like sweet fruit. You think Pecha Berries. She never gave you a chance to sneak a peek at the goods, maybe she knew you were looking.  
  
You stand back up and test the water with your toes. It's cold, not like any of the indoor pools you're used to. You lay down flat and try to float on the water and it works. Until a wave comes and washes some water up your nose, causing you to flail and sneeze.  
  
Snorting the water out of your nose you bring your lower half back underwater and walk to where Gwen is waiting. You run your claws through her fur again under the clean lake water and work out the dried bits of baby batter.  
  
"What d-does Hoopa expect us to do? Are we looking for t-treasure?"  
  
Gwen dips her head under the water, letting it flow over her, then flicks her head back to keep the fur from hanging down in her eyes. You get splashed in the face by some of the spray.  
  
"I am bounty hunter. Catch outlaw. Guild do many thing. Sometimes this."  
  
The clumps of sticky, matted hair start to loosen up and part in your claws. When you realize you're groping and massaging her chest it causes you to flush a little, unsure if she can see it on your dark lizard face.  
  
"I-I know how to cook. I bake well. I'm n-not so sure about chasing c-c-criminals."  
  
Gwen tilts her head back with her eyes closed to enjoy the scratching of your claws.  
  
"All guild need cook. Keep happy. Maybe not useless. What your name?"

* * *

  * >Smells like sweet fruit  
Good to know despite her gruff demeanor she's hygienic at least.  
>Bounty Hunter  
Well, we ARE a fire/poison type, maybe we'll discover some moves to help with that down the road. We can't be completely useless in a fight.  
Our identity is all we have since the transformation. No reason for secrets, give her our Human name.  
Definitely don't start feeling the tingle of arousal set in from groping Poochyena chest.
  * Find a way to determine level to know current move set. 
  * Give her our proper name. Also mention that we shouldn't be completely adverse to assisting in the bounty hunting side of work. 
  * I like this mentality, especially if it means potentially training with her. A Poochyena grinding our face into the dirt isn't without appeal. 
  * Introduce himself. Tell her that he knows about most moves, types, and species, but that he'll need to learn how to actually be in a fight as a pokemon. Notice that she's enjoying the rubbing and just continue until she tells him to stop. 
  * >Another beautiful day in the quarantine.  
>smells like pecha berries  
Is Murdoch from a pokemon setting or a real world setting? 
    * (Pokemon setting with a quarantine)



* * *

You don't have a Pokedex on you. Even if Hoopa let you grab some of your things you didn't own once since you never got into the training scene.  
  
"I'm Murdoch. Y-you know, I could learn. H-how to fight. From you maybe, if you want to teach me?"  
  
She cracks one eye open to look at you. I-is she checking you out? Her eye closes again. You hope she didn't look under the water. You can't get hard again so soon after you already came but you can feel your dick painfully trying.  
  
"Scrawny. Need get stronger. Then learn fight."  
  
"I, I know a little bit. About m-moves and type advantages. B-but I don't know what m-moves I know."  
  
You dig in deeper with your knuckles and really massage her along her front. This elicits a satisfied rumbling you can feel in her throat.  
  
"Is okay. Hoopa give guild card."  
  
She stands up, and you reluctantly stop rubbing her chest. Gwen turns away and walks back onto the beach, tail swaying back and forth. You definitely accidentally catch a glimpse under her tail and she does have a cute cookie down there. She winds up and begins to shake off the excess water from her fur in a distinctly canine way, spraying it all over.  
  
Once she dries off Gwen goes to her bag on the beach and prods it, waiting for you.  
  
"Name Gwen. Card here. Touch."  
  
She sits down on her haunches again and waits.

* * *

  * Touch it. 
  * She's just letting us dig though her bag. Okay.  
Anyway, a guild means there are more pokemon then just the two of them in this thing, right? A single fighter and her cook is more a pair than an organization. 
  * >Gwen likes being felt up and groomed  
RIP our dick.  
Obviously for now just press the card and see what magic happens. Also, stop worrying about getting an erection around her, she doesn't really seem to care so long as you aren't giving her pearl necklaces.



* * *

You climb out of the cold water. The wind hits you, but your inner warmth keeps it from feeling too bad. It's actually a little refreshing. There is a little bit of pink poking out of a slit in your crotch. Gwen sniffs the air and looks down. Her staring at your crotch gets you going even more.  
  
 **> Murdoch has gained an Exhibitionism fetish**  
  
"Too horny. Can't let hang. Will get broken."  
  
The idea sends panicked beating through your chest. She's right, you can't just be getting erections during fights or when you might accidentally fall on it.  
  
"S-so do we have any other m-members? Members of the guild? T-two people isn't much."  
  
You fumble over your words while you root around in her bag. There are two round, dimpled berries you recognize as Orans and a glass bottle of something. At the bottom you find a small metal plaque. It has Gwen's name and details on it, and a blank space next to her. There are listings open for other guild members too.  
  
When you touch the card it glows under your claws and your information begins to write itself out. To your surprise new sections also appear on the card outright declaring your fetishes and Gwen's.  
  
"No others. Me, you. Need recruit."

* * *

  * Do we have a base of operations or is this your standard D&D murder hobo party where we just wander from one quest to another. We could use Sweet Scent to draw out a potential party member from the local area but if there is a town nearby we should start there. 
  * speaking of other members, is our Salandit blessed with hemipenes? 
    * Salamanders are unis 
  * Regarding the MD Quest, ask Gwen if she has any advice on controlling being so easily aroused. It could become a problem. 
  * Hoopa's Collar seems interesting, I kinda forgot about that. Since Gwen and Murdoch both have disadvantaged power, it may be best to focus on status afflictions and stat reductions.

Ask if this fetish thing is just because of Hoopa, or if it's normal for guilds to track and display fetishes. 




* * *

You take a peek downstairs. Only one pale pink head is poking out of your crotch area. You think you still have the normal number of members.  
  
"G-gwen? Do you have any advice? About my situation."  
  
"Wear cloth."  
  
Do the Pokemon here wear clothing? Gwen isn't wearing any. Wearing underwear is definitely better than walking around with your business hanging out.  
  
"I-is this normal?"  
  
You show Gwen the new additions to your guild card. You think you see her ears darken with blood flow before she folds them down. There is a growl under hear breath.  
  
"Dirty Hoopa. Play joke on us. How we recruit now?"  
  
A look around at the area and you don't see any signs of civilization. You two are on the edge of hilly grasslands and some rocky canyons.  
  
"Do we ha- do we have a home?"  
  
Gwen picks up the item bag, which dangles from around her neck by a cloth loop. She begins plodding towards one of the canyon walls. There is a hewn trail, a walking path leading up to the top, and she takes you there.  
  
You get back down on all fours for fear of falling from up high.  
  
At the top of the path she shows you what extends. A vast and very barren badland marked with cratered canyons that look like they were made by massive footprints, just like the one the lake below is. Inside each footprint is much more fertile with lakes, ponds and grass.  
  
"Village not far. I live. We go."

* * *

  * Muster up your paw fetish. Giant footprints means giant feet. The lake you bathed in was basically paw sweat.
  * Ask how urgent it is to recruit someone for this kind of work. If they can manage by themselves until they have reputation, the card may not be a big deal.

More importantly, ask what their incentive is to win this game for Hoopa. If she's just doing her best to repay a favor, that's fine, but Murdoch's only interest in it is that Gwen will be helping him survive while he figures out life in this world, and clearly Hoopa himself isn't taking it seriously. 

  * Hoopa is a motherfuck.

Play the fetishes to our advantage. If we recruit anyone we’re 100% all on the table. We can try to string it like some depraved sense of earnest. 




* * *

You clam up a little bit thinking about the big paws that must have made these prints. Actually it looks more like big claws.  
  
"Do we have to recruit r-right away? Maybe we can uh, a-advertise it. K-kind of being open to stuff?"  
  
Gwen looks back over her shoulder. Her tail is swaying behind her and she doesn't seem worried about giving you a view. Maybe because she's seen you a lot already.  
  
"Just two, can get famous. But we need do something big."  
  
The show under her tail might be what gets most people. For you it's the pink pads kicking up behind her as she goes. They look tough and well-worn from lots of travel like Hoopa said they would. You wonder if she likes having them squeezed and massaged as much as she likes to be pet.  
  
"If, if it's not getting t-too far ahead of myself. What is the p-price for winning?"  
  
"Winner guild get favor from all losers. Don't know who participate. Victini guild win every time so they ban. Last time Mew guild win."  
  
Gwen stops at the edge of another hewn path down the rock face. Under you is a ravine with caves and paths carved into the cliffs. There are other Pokemon going from place to place.  
  
"This Stepstone village. I live."

* * *

To be continued


	2. Our New Normal

  * The Victini guild is banned so some of their members could become our members instead. 
  * >Focusing on the bigger phantom set of paws when we have four gorgeous ones on our partner  
  
We need intel on the competition, keep it in mind to ask around town, once we get settled and see where Gwen lives/where our guild will be, to get an idea of our competitors. Heck, befriending a competitor could do us a big favor down the road.  
  
Get a good look at Stepstone village, take mental stock of what Pokemon seem to be regulars here. Be observant, also keep stealing glances at Gwen while she's offering them. Don't completely neglect the cookie for the paws, a proper "teammate" should learn to worship and adore her entire body.
  * Now that we're not out in the wild, could we take a moment to examine the collar around our neck? Is it just a single unbroken loop? Is there a ring or anything else on it? Does it look like it could open in any way?  
Maybe Gwen could "help"? 
  * Check out our new home, see if there's adequate space for two. 



* * *

There are many of what you know as Fossil Pokemon here. An Omanyte covered with paper charms and decorative beads is sitting on a cushion in front of a shrine at the middle of the village. The shrine has many colorful streamers in the hues of the rainbow, and beneath its roof there is a lit brazier.  
  
Gwen takes you down into the canyon. The grasses have been trimmed and cared for so that you can see further than a few feet in front of you. It looks like she doesn't live in the caves, but in some of the smaller huts on the canyon floor.  
  
Her home is among others. Groups of them are gathered in circles. They are formed of cloth exteriors wrapped around a set of wooden poles to make a cone with a hole in the top. Inside the grass has been torn up and the dirt floor packed solid. She has a single staw bed piled together like a nest and a firepit in the middle of the hit. A thin stone plate is suspended above the firepit for heating food on. A wooden trunk sits next to her bed.  
  
There's plenty of empty floor space but nothing soft for you to sleep on.  
  
While Gwen is setting down her bag you try to take a look at the collar around your neck. You have to twist to the side and strain your eyes to get a good look at it since your neck doesn't bend up or down as far now. There are no buckls or clasps. A solid ring of gold like the one Hoopa used to teleport you here.  
  
"Where am I going to s-sleep?"  
  
Your new partner sits and looks at her bed. It isn't very large and if you both slept on it you would be getting very close.  
  
"Go to trade. Tell them Gwen send you. Get cloth to wear."  
  
She doesn't answer your question about where you'll be sleeping and walks back out of the hut. You peek out after her and see her walking away back to the walkway to the canyon top.

Now might be your chance to explore town on your own.  
  
You see there's someone else near the pathway up the canyon that looks like they just got back. An Archen is sorting through a brown satchel with their wing.  
  
There is a tapping sound you hear against stone. You follow it with your eyes and see a Tyrunt chiseling something out of a chunk of stone.  
  
While you search for the trade store you come across a cave with shelves of books inside. A Noibat with eyes gleaming in the dark is hanging upsidedown from a wooden perch set into the ceiling and reading a book.  
  
A Flapple perched on one of the cliff pathways is looking up at the clouds. She looks over when you approach as if expecting someone, but you aren't it. She waves to you politely and returns to waiting.  
  
Finally you reach a cave entrance with a cloth flag above it. It has an image of a Pelipper and a Wooloo on it, which reads "Trade and Post". Inside you see rows of cubbyholes with names attached to them. Some have letters or parcels inside. A Wooloo is standing behind the counter and behind her is a white cloth curtain covering a tunnel to a back room.  
  
You could go in the trade store right away or go talk to one of your new neighbors.  
  
**> Talk to whom?**

** **

* * *

  * Archen is cute talk to them 
  * Have Murdoch introduce himself to the noibat. Ask what it's reading and see if we can get a peak at some of the books to find out if murdoch can read the language. If he can, try to get a feel for what kind of books the noibat or pokemon in general have. 
  * >I propose speaking with the Omanyte. They seem to be in charge of a shrine of some kind. They maybe able to provide information on everybody at once.
  * Tempting as it is to branch out, keeping Gwen waiting seems like a poor move, go straight to the shop first.
  * Wooloo. I need a kilt made out of your hair, Wooloo.  
Afterwards, find out the good word from the helix shrine maiden. 



* * *

You consider going to the library. Then you realize you could read the sign for the trade shop and post office without even trying. It never even occurred to you but you can understand the Pokemon here just fine as if they were speaking English.  
  
You look up and look more closely at the sign. It is written in what looks like different glyphic arrangements of footprints.  
  
Thinking it would be a bad idea to keep Gwen waiting you crawl into the trade shop and lift yourself up at the counter, using it for balance. And to cover up your lower regions.  
  
"H-hello there.I'm new in t-town, Gwen sent me to get some um, c- some clothes to wear."  
  
The Wooloo smiles widely and hops up and down, her pigtails bouncing.  
  
"Oh boy! Welcome to Stepstone, welcome welcome! What kind of accessories are you looking for?"  
  
"M-maybe some kind of kilt?"  
  
She turns and drags out a stepladder from under her counter to step up and reach the higher shelves. Grabbing a purple cloth from the shelf in her mouth, she climbs back down and puts it on the counter.  
  
"Do you like the color? Does it fit okay? I think it would look great on you!"  
  
You slide the short kilt off of the counter and pull it on, fastening the cloth belt around your waist. It fits okay and won't get in the way of walking.  
  
"H-how much do I owe you?"  
  
You realize you have no money, but the Wooloo shakes her head, her whole fluffy body bouncing around.  
  
"You said Gwen sent you right? Her community credit will cover it!"

* * *

  * She seems chatty, so make some small talk. Mention that you're starting a guild with Gwen and you're interested in learning about the area. Ask about the town, the pokemon here, and this credit system. 



* * *

"S-so what's it like around here? I uh, I-I didn't know there was a credit system. Do you not have money?"

You smooth out your new kilt. Being covered up helps you feel a little more in control. The Wooloo giggles.

"Of course we have money silly. We're far out from the big towns here. It's easier to pool our resources for things the village really needs from outside. Here in the village we trade mainly in items and favors."

That does sort of make sense. You wonder what the big towns look like filled with Pokemon.

"Is there anyone i-interesting living here?"

"Well, there's me. I'm Amor!"

Amor smiles sweetly and you get a little feeling of butterflies.

"I- nice to meet you Amor. I'm Murdoch. Gwen and I are s-star-starting a Guild."

She practically launches into the air hopping up and down.

"Oh goodness is it time for the big competition already? We're going to get super busy with letters and news and guild missions!"

Her excitement is contagious and you find yourself smiling. Anan must be the Pelipper on the sign. While you're here you might as well ask about some of the other townsfolk you were interested in.

"D-do you know the Noibat and the Omanyte?"

"Sure! Victor is our librarian and he likes to write his own stories too. If you ask nicely he'll let you read the spicy ones."

She wiggles her eyebrows at you.

"Neha is our priestess of Ho-oh. She resurrects the fossils Boris digs up. You might see him around too, he's an Archen." 

* * *

  * She's adorable.

So this competition is common knowledge? Mention that Gwen is a little quiet and Hoopa was more than a little eccentric - tug on the collar for emphasis - so you're not too clear on the details. Ask if she could explain a bit about the competition. Missions, rankings, recruitment, humans, what happens to the guilds after the competition, etc. 

  * She has been the mailman for a few of these competitions so must be a wealth of information. Since all the pokemon we've seen so far have jobs then we must need vagabonds to fill up our guild. Does she ever get letters from pokemon looking to join guilds? How do guild missions work?  
Try to get a peek at her hooves. Still gotta test this kilt out after all and since she mentioned spicy novella see what good reads she is into. 



* * *

"Ev- everybody knows about the competition? S-sorry but Hoopa didn't say much and Gwen is..."  
  
Amor giggles again and finishes the thought for you.  
  
"Gwen is Gwen, I know. Every five years all of the guilds disband and retire, and a group of six legendary Pokemon pick champions to start new ones. They have three years to become the top guild!"  
  
So this happens very often here. It must be commonplace for everybody. You have some other questions about the ordeal.  
  
"How do missions, ranking and recruitment work?"  
  
"Missions can be a lot of things, like rescues or exploring mystery dungeons, or catering events. Finishing them gives you rewards and points to improve your rank. What kind of guild are you going to start? I can make sure you always get the most relevant missions for you!"  
  
You can't get a good look at her hooves behind the counter. They're not as nice as paws anyways. You like to have something soft to play with.  
  
"And if you want to recruit someone... you just ask!"  
  
She laughs at your expression.  
  
"Just have them touch your guild card and agree to join. Easy peasy."  
  
"Are- are all of the contestants humans?"  
  
Amor's forehead creases in sympathy and her voice becomes a soft coo.  
  
"Oh goodness Hoopa didn't explain very much to you at all did he? Yes, all of you are brought from the human world. Don't worry, Murdoch, if you want to go home after you're done Celebi will take you right back where you left off."  
  
Maybe if you ask they'll drop you off after the quarantine blows over.  
  
"Are there any b-books you're reading right now?"  
  
"Yessir. It's about a dashing explorer who rescues a Sylveon from a dungeon, and his 'damsel' in distress is packing more 'heat' than he expected. I'm not sure if that's your preference though?"

* * *

  * >You can't get a good look at her hooves behind the counter.   
>They're not as nice as paws anyways.  
Heresy.  
  
Is there a limit to recruits? We don't want to fill our roster before knowing what we're doing either. Gwen isn't sociable enough for catering events and Murdoch isn't a great fighter yet so rescues are probably going to be their bread and butter starting out.
  * Tell her we aren't sure what type of guild it will be. Gwen said she was a bounty hunter, but Murdoch hasn't been in a fight yet and his natural talents definitely lean more towards entertainment. They may have to work out a compromise between them.

This sweet wooloo admitted to reading raunchy books and asked after Murdoch's interests... she may be lewder than we realized. Even if we can't get with her right now, let's at least get it on the table. And as a skilled barterer, it's probably best to get as close as possible with a trader. Admit to her that he tends to be very open minded in the heat of the moment (based on his interest in Hoopa, Gwen, and his ability to develop kinks on the fly.) Tell her he likes indulging other's interests. 




* * *

M-my preference? I um."  
  
You twiddle your thumbs together nervously.  
  
"I uh, I like to ex- experiment. I like to try what others like. And uh, Gwen and I both lean towards different ways. I- I mean with the guild! I don't know how Gwen leans, th-that way. Okay maybe a little-"  
  
Amor reaches across the counter and boops you on the snoot with her hoof, giggling at your word salad. Your nose is a sensitive spot and her gentle tap shoots tingling sensations up your snout.  
  
"So you like to try different things, huh? I'll make sure to give you a variety to choose from~"  
  
"M-my card only has six spots for recruits. How many Pokemon can j-join one guild?"  
  
"They like to keep the guilds small. That way one doesn't run away with the competition by recruiting absolutely everybody!"  
  
She lifts a hoof to her chin and smirks as if remembering a joke.  
  
"You should ask Neha about the time everybody won. It's pretty funny. Hoopa's guilds are always good for a laugh."

* * *

  * This was the trade and post yeah? We may as well check if Gwen has gotten anything, considering that we're living in the same house. 
  * Seems like that's as far as we'll get with her for now. Thank her for taking the time help and let her know she can always ask us if she needs something. Head out, pat ourselves on the back for interacting with another living creature without popping a stiffy, and if nothing seems to have changed let's check out library. 
  * Makes me wonder if she has a "back room" of sorts, for more... restrictive... articles of clothing.  
Surely, she must've noticed the collar. That'd be clue enough for her to know what we're like in that regard. 



* * *

"Is there any m-mail for Gwen?"  
  
Coming out from behind the counter, Amor leads you to a cubby hole with Gwen's name on it. She pulls a pair of papers out and holds them out to you.  
  
You take them in your claws. They're a pair of wanted posters. A Ghastly wanted for possessing other Pokemon against their will, and Morgrem from somewhere called Tallspire accused of theft who fled before his trial.  
  
"Gwen likes to keep up to date on the latest fugitives and bounties. Who knows, maybe one of them will be your first official mission?"  
  
"A-and do you have a 'backroom'? With um, m-more private clothes and maybe t- toys?"  
  
A mischievous smile slips onto Amor and she bumps you with her hip as she walks back behind the counter.  
  
"The new guy is a deviant soul? Goodness me. All we have in our backroom is a bedroom, and anything in there isn't for lending~"  
  
You shyly nod and start to shuffle out.  
  
"Th-thank you. S-sorry if I was rude."  
  
"Aw, don't be so shy. If you really want something to play with, come back when you've earned some credit. I can order a special package for you~"  
  
The small village is just the same as you left it, except that the Archen is talking to the Flapple on the edge of the walkway. You scamper past them and peek into the library. The Noibat is still reading where you saw him last.  
  
"H-hello?"  
  
You step inside and announce yourself, getting back up on two legs. The Noibat's bright yellow eyes flicker down from the book to you. He tucks a bookmark into the page he's on and sets the book down on top of a bookshelf next to his hanging spot.  
  
"Why hello there. I don't believe I recognize you. What can I help you with?"

* * *

  * >do you have a backroom with toys?  
We were doing so well.  
  
Have Murdoch introduce himself as the new co-leader of the Hoopa guild. Tell him we're going around introducing ourself to various pokemon and trying to learn anything we can about life in this world, so we came by to meet him and maybe see what kind of books are around. 
    * I was mostly thinking of just looking around the store, to see if there were any suspicious doors that might lead to more "interesting" wares not openly displayed, but what's done is done. She doesn't seem like the type to hold something like that against us, luckily. 
  * Resist your libido and ask if he has any world maps or books on adventuring tips. You'll need a clear head for this, since you aren't currently much in a fight. You'll have to fix this. 
  * Surely if we keep going around and introducing ourself as totally clueless about pokemon, someone will take advantage of us in a good way. 



* * *

"I'm Murdoch, the c-co-leader of the Hoopa guild. Just d-doing me- doing my rounds."  
  
If Victor catches onto your Freudian slip, he doesn't mention it. The little bat drops from the ceiling and glides down in front of you.  
  
"Then allow me to formally welcome you to our world. I am Victor, librarian."  
  
Victor reaches out with a wing and you realize he's looking for a handshake, so you return it.  
  
"N-nice to meet you. B-books, I mean, what kinds of b-books are here? Can we b-borrow them?"  
  
Leading you by the claw, Victor brings you down alongside the aisles of shelves. There are four sections. Fiction, History, Religion, and Exploration. With a swish of his wing, Victor invites you into the exploration section.  
  
"All of my books and maps may be borrowed, though I ask you not bring them beyond the village without permission. I'm sure any information at all will be helpful, but this section is specifically related to the Mystery Dungeon phenomenon."

* * *

  * Amor mentioned dungeons a few times, so we should probably learn how they work. Ask him for a recommendation on the subject, and maybe anything else he thinks we might be interested in. 
  * Ask to borrow any books that could be useful for cave dwelling or about select Pokemon species. Thank him kindly, and maybe, sheepishly ask if he has anything you could borrow to keep you company until you get more "acquainted" with others here. 
  * The wooloo said he's a writer, so ask about things he's written. 



* * *

You peek through the Exploration section. Victor reaches over your shoulder and pulls out a book called the Basics of Dungeoneering.  
  
"I recommend you begin with this. It details the practical knowledge you will need if you delve into a dungeon, without any of the scholarly jargon."  
  
"W-what about, that is, is there anything ab-bout Pokemon? Or living in caves?"  
  
A kee-kee noise from the bat startles you at first, and then you realize he's laughing. Giggling might be a better word, but it doesn't seem to fit his demeanor otherwise. Not like Amor's flirty laugh.  
  
"If you want to know about living in a cave, I am a primary resource. Did you have any specific questions?"  
  
Victor steps out of the Exploration aisle and you trail behind him to the History section.  
  
"We have books on the biology and known history of fossilized species. They are an in-progress collection being written by our own Persephone. The Flapple, you may have seen her in the village already."  
  
You take the first of the books off the shelf and set it on the one you already have. Your ability to carry things in front of you is a little put off by your poor frontal balance and you start to teeter until Victor steadies you.

"D-do- thank you. D-do you have um, Amor mentioned you write?"  
  
This time the bat is the one nervous as he folds one of his wings in to his chest.  
  
"Oh. Oh Amor, how you wag your tongue. I do write some... entertainment novellas. They are still only manuscripts. I never had the courage to get them published."  
  
"I, m-may I have one to read? Until I get more 'a-acquainted' with others here."  
  
Victor tugs at his chest fluff uncertainly.  
  
"Well, I don't see why not. You know about them already. Might I ask you to review my writing and tell me what you think? Amor says she enjoys them all, but I worry she is only being nice."  
  
He goes over to a bag of his things sitting beneath his reading stalactite. He takes out three folders full of pages and sets them in front of you.  
  
"Please, pick whichever interests you the most."  
  
**> Detective Albert Nevermore 1.2**  
A story about a Murkrow private detective and his manipulation by a domineering crime boss, with his daughter threatened for leverage.  
  
**> Virgil, Daring Adventurer 2.0**  
The second draft of an adventurous heroic Noivern and his mission to rescue a frightened damsel, who turns out to be hiding unexpected secrets. You think Virgil might be a self-insert.  
  
**> Untitled 0.3**  
A work in progress feel-good story about a Hoppip separated from her flock who is rescued by a friendly Shelmet. He promises to escort her home.

* * *

  * Ask to check out Virgil, insert or not, maybe some adventure books will help ignite your own spirit a bit. 
  * Seconding this, would be nice to be even the slightest bit more comfortable in the field. 
  * >a Murkrow private detective and his manipulation by a domineering crime boss  
I know Gwen isn't much for words but maybe she'd be willing to act out a particularly saucy chapter of this.  
Alternatively, just leave the book around the hut like a sexual landmine and risk coming home to dom fantasy fueled poochyena.  
  
>a frightened damsel, who turns out to be hiding unexpected secrets.  
Amor spoiled that one for us already. Let's hope she is a normal girl who is into Yaoi and not a trap herself. 
    * I like the idea, but I don't don't if Gwen would be a big reader. Won't hurt to try though. 
  * I think the Detective Story will be most relevant to us.



* * *

**> Coin Flip Tiebreaker: Detective Story**  
  
The thought of planting some ideas in Gwen's head gets you in the end. You pick up the folder of Albert Nevermore and slide it into a hiding place between your two other books.  
  
"Th-the ending of Virgil's story got spoiled by Amor. B-but this one sou- sounds nice."  
  
Victor tucks the other two folders back into his bag. He twiddles his wingtips together.  
  
"By the way. If you're looking to get acquainted with people, maybe you could stop by tonight to-"  
  
He pauses and stammers his words as the Archen from outside walks in and past the two of you. He greets Victor in passing and returns a book to the fossil Pokemon section.  
  
"Yes, hello there. As I was saying, to... help you read anything that's too... hard to get through on your own?"  
  
The Archen pokes through different books looking for something in particular, and Victor's eyes flick between him and you with a little hint of hesitation mixed with disappointment.

* * *

  * Tell him we'd be happy to come by as long as Gwen doesn't drag us off somewhere. I just realized he was one of our partner options. His kink was Dirty Talk, so let's lean into that. Let him know we'd be happy to help him out with any hard stuff he has to deal with too.

Then let's head back home to drop off our books and see if Gwen is back. 

  * Whisper so only the bat can hear. At night though if it's too dark then it'll be impossible to get any reading done. Haha.  
Then shuffle out of there before you embarrass yourself further. 



* * *

"S-sure, unless- unless something comes up. I'd be happy to h-help you out with any h-hard stuff."  
  
You aren't the best at this innuendo thing. Thankfully the Archen is leaving and walks past with a new book and a whistle.  
  
You lean in closer to whisper to Victor.  
  
"B-but it might be too dark to get any reading done. Haha."  
  
Then you remember Victor is a bat and awkwardly wave, accidentally dropping your books all over yourself.  
  
"O-oh no."  
  
"Here, allow me."  
  
Victor helps you pick the books back up and arrange them in your arms, and sees you to the door.  
  
"Take it slow and careful on the path, alright?"  
  
He watches you with a bit of worry as you shuffle down the walkway in embarrassment. You hope he doesn't think you're a total loser.  
  
A slow walk later you get down to Gwen's teepee and find her arranging a pile of grasses pulled up from the field you arrived in. She's layered them into a second mat for you to sleep on. There are some freshly picked berries in a pile next to it, she brought back Chestos and Pechas.  
  
"Mf. You back. Think you get lost."  
  
"N-no, just got some b-books at the library."  
  
You put down your pile of books and paper next to your sleeping mat. Then you pull out the wanted posters that came in the mail and give them to her. Gwen pulls them in front of her with her paw.  
  
"Good. Thank you. You like village?"

* * *

  * Christ, Murdoch is a mess. I can't imagine how bad he'd be if we had taken a minus to charm.

Tell her the village was really interesting, it was surprising to see a bunch of fossil pokemon around, and he got to know Amor and Victor. Thank her for getting food and a bed for him and settle in to eat. 

    * Victor tee'd up that softball innuendo for him and everything.
  * Ask Gwen if there's anything we should try to get done today. If not, we should go figure out how to use moves after eating.



* * *

"I-it was nice. I met Amor. A-and Victor."  
  
You take a seat on your new bed. It's softer than you expected, and the fresh grass is still pleasantly cool, like the fresh side of a pillow.  
  
"Th-thank you Gwen. Can I have some b-b b- food?"  
  
Gwen takes a seat on her own bed and nods quietly. You pick up one of the Chestos and bite into it. The flesh is thick and tough, with no messy juices and a mild taste. It reminds you of a gummy candy.  
  
You swallow the berry. Gwen has rolled a Pecha over to herself and poked a hole with her teeth, using it to suck out the sweet juices. Her eyes are closed as she savors and enjoys the taste.  
  
"D-do we need to do anything today?"  
  
"Train."  
  
Her response is short and blunt, but you were thinking the exact same thing. Gwen looks again at the two wanted posters on the ground.  
  
"Have mission. But you not ready."  
  
The two of you are on the same page. And this means maybe you can see Victor tonight and see where it goes. After a fruity lunch you follow Gwen into a clearing of cleared dirt. She stands opposite you.  
  
"Come at me. Not like before."  
  
A dark chuckle rumbles in her throat.  
  
**> What strategy will you use in training?**

* * *

  * >"Come at me. Not like before."  
Gwen's got jokes. Alright.  
  
What were our moves again? I think they were all status affliction stuff and Ember but fire in a cloth tent around grass bedding sounds bad.  
I guess poison won't be terrible since she likes pecha berries as a snack anyways.  
  
>(If he had disadvantage in Charm his stutter and clumsiness would come across as annoying to others instead of kind of cute)  
Simple Jack should have won an Oscar.
  * Since Gwen is a physical attacker, we should try to keep our distance and afflict her with status conditions, then play evasive until she wears down. Given our weak Power and her Quick Feet we're probably screwed, but it still seems like our best bet. If it turns out Poison Gas is highly flammable we might be able to improvise an explosion to our advantage.  
  
We moved to a clearing, so we don't have to worry about anything burning. I hope she saved a pecha though.
  * >We moved to a clearing  
I see.  
  
Okay, so two strategies become apparent.  
Option A: Use sweet scent to start and basically try to scratch her a bunch since poison and burning will just make her bite harder.  
Option B: Both poison and burn her and then curl up into a ball and hope she passes out or gets tired of biting us before we faint.  
  
Probably start with A and move to B so we try all the attacks and get more used to this new body. See what works and what doesn't.
  * Ember. Anyone can scratch, Sweet scent is for pussies. We won't impress her, but we need to show we're not afraid to actually play rough with her. Right now her opinion of us has to be pretty pathetic. 
  * Sweet Scent can be used to lower evasiveness and Gwen has X plus years of fighting as a Pokemon versus our ziltch. We need to use any advantage we got to at least even the odds.

She's a bounty hunter she probably expect her marks to fight dirty and we're going to have to until we can start closing the strength gap. 

  * It would be neat to have a reuniclus as a recruit option at some point. Pretty underappreciated, and there's some nice potential considering Murdoch is probably about hand size for one.

Move wise, spray and pray with poison seems like one of the better options. If we surround ourselves in it, maybe she'll have to be more careful in her approach. Can Murdoch accidentally poison himself because of corrosion? 




* * *

Salandits have sweet smelling pheromones. You aren't sure how to make yourself give them off.  
  
**> Intelligence: Advantage (13,14/10)**  
Good thing you did a lot of reading as a human. You remember that female Salandits have powerful suggestion pheromones, but males have weaker ones that can cause arousal. And that they come from the flame patterns on the base of your tail. You squat forward on your foreclaws and stretch your tail, letting your kilt fall up around your body. A heat builds up in your tail and a sweet smell fills the air.  
  
Gwen sniffs the air and flicks her ears. She gets a little bit of a cloudy look in her eyes and she starts to stalk towards you. Her tail hangs down behind her, pressed against her rear.  
  
Rolling through her body, she lets loose a ferocious howl and begins to charge at you. You feel panic and adrenaline shoot through your system.  
  
Spraying poison gas has to come out of one end or the other, and you hope it's the less embarrassing one.  
  
**> Intelligence: Advantage (14,20/10)**  
You should be immune to your own poisons, but not the poison of other Salandits. And you should be able to poison them too.  
  
Fire types' flame organs are usually in their throats. You don't want to accidentally spit fire so you decide to try your nostrils. A deep breath in and you close off your sinuses from the inside.  
  
When Gwen gets close you let out your deep breath from your nose. A dark fume cloud shoots into her face, distracted by your pheromonal assault.  
  
**> Poison Gas: Power Disadvantage, Evasion Down (8, 3/8)**  
The fumes do nothing to slow her momentum. Gwen barrels through the cloud with her eyes and mouth shut tight and her ears flat against her skull.  
  
**> Tackle: Fitness Advantage (4, 15/10)**  
She plows straight into you and the two of you tumble across the soft earthen ground. You land flat on your back with her standing overtop of you. Gwen's teeth are bared as her eyes open back up.

* * *

  * Our first priority is to get away from her. Try poison again directly to her face and escape while she's trying not to breath in the poison and not biting us. Afterwards we need to dose her with more sweet scent so our moves can actually land. 
  * Face to face ember. 
  * Going by Gwen's reactions she isn't unfamiliar with fighting poison types and those that use Sweet Scent. I doubt we will poison her if we're direct we gotta keep her off balance if we want to achieve that.  
  
I second the motion to try poison gas into her face as so far we know how to use that. Its too risky to try to figure out Ember at the moment. Once we get some distance we can try to get that going.



* * *

You give some thought to an Ember, but you need to act fast. You do what you did before once already and breathe out a smog of itchy, choking fumes from your nostrils.  
  
**> Poison Gas: Power Disadvantage, Evasion Down (14, 19/8)**  
**> Poisoned**  
She must not have been expecting you to get your breath back so quickly. Gwen hacks and coughs on the acrid smog and you take the chance to slip away.  
  
**> Bite: Fitness Advantage, Quick Feet (21, 8, 15/10)**  
You don't get far. Gwen regains her composure quickly and grabs your tail in her teeth, yanking you back. You slide underneath her and she pins you under one of her paws. Before you know it her teeth are on your throat, but not squeezing down.  
  
Gwen lets go and pulls back. She coughs a few more times and manages to wheeze out some words.  
  
"Not bad. Hope for you yet."  
  
When the acrid smell of the smoke fades, the sweet pheromones still hang in the air. You feel a few drops of something dripping on your lower tail. You look down and see flecks of clear fluid dribbling down from between Gwen's legs. In spite of her obvious arousal she keeps her cool and her face doesn't betray it.  
  
"You lose. New round?"

* * *

  * Let's go again. Open with more Sweet Scent in hopes of landing some future attacks. Then we can follow up with an ember or a scratch is she's already on us. 
  * Sweet we got our partner to acknowledge we're not completely hopeless. I would propose that we ask if its alright if we have a moment to puzzle out how to use our own abilities. This way Gwen can save face and cool down a little bit before another round. She's going to be ready for Sweet Scent and Poison Gas now so trying to ultilze everything we got is our next priority. This is just me, but I don't think our goal is to win more to prove we're not going to slow Gwen down. Granted I wouldn't mind victory. 



* * *

"S-sure. Just give me a m-minute to figure something out?"  
  
Gwen abides and walks to the other side of the training circle. She takes a seat and watches you.  
  
You decide to test the last move you don't know how to do. You're pretty sure you know how to scratch somebody, in theory. In practice, well, that's what the practice is for right?  
  
**> Intelligence: Advantage (2, 5/10)**  
You take a deep breath and inhale, then breathe out forcefully through your snout. Nothing comes out except for a strained wheeze. It's a little funny, you expected breathing fire to be the easiest of the things you would need to do.  
  
"You need help?"  
  
Gwen is panting, herself. The poison must still be affecting her.

* * *

  * Accept her offer, but ask if she needs a Pecha. 
  * Hey a chance to bond, get her talking about herself a little bit if you can. 
  * "I d-don't suppose you have any experience learning to breathe fire, do you?" 



* * *

"I d-don't suppose you have any experience learning to breathe fire, do you?"  
  
Gwen turns her head to the side and tries to breathe out heavily.  
  
"No."  
  
She looks a little shaky on her feet, but she's trying not to let it show.  
  
"D-do you need to take a break for a b- Pecha berry?"  
  
Gwen hesitates, then nods. She walks over and you walk alongside her back to the hut where the rest of the berries she brought are. Gwen rolls one over to herself and bites into it.  
  
"S-so um, could you tell me a bit about you m-maybe?"  
  
She grunts while she chews. After she swallows her bite she starts to look more lively again.  
  
"Hatch in dungeon. Grow up wild. Like sweet food. You?"  
  
**> What was Murdoch's life like?**

* * *

  * Born to a very prosperous and privileged family, Murdoch was a very successful early riser. By 18 he had started work as a sales associate for his Father's tech company, by 20 he had risen the ranks, bought his own real estate, and life was fantastic, except... He was alone.

Then he met an intern, and after small talk week after week he fell in love with her. They started dating, but she was raised conservative, months of building up to it, the first night came that they made love and Murdoch lost his virginity.

He came before he could penetrate her, and she couldn't suppress the laugh--only over time, it became apparently that Murdoch was, to be frank, terrible at holding his own sexually.

Eventually the relationship broke off, and with it, his self esteem. He found himself stuttering, socially suffering where he used to flourish, and overall intimidated by the fairer sex. To make matters worse, his date wasted no time making a joke of his name to his coworkers of his sexual failings. Then the quarantine began, and with it this adventure. A chance to possibly rise from his former failings better-- or fall even deeper into a pitiful, submissive little bitch. 

    * This mostly fine. I'm not a fan of writing premature ejaculation into his character/origin though. He's pretty pathetic as is, and we don't really need to double down on our -Lewd stat. And he's actually been okay talking to Gwen and Amor as far as women go. 
  * Murdoch grew up without much confidence in himself as he was in his own head too much constantly questioning and second guessing even when he felt he was in the right.

While articulate his stutter keeps him from presenting himself as someone that knows what he is talking about thus he is often passed over or ignored even when he is qualified to help solve a situation which loops back into his lack of self-esteem. 

    * I like this - it fits nicely. 
      * Thanks, I just took a hard look at Murdoch's profile card and thought up a quick origin.

Baking is one of his strengths so I figured he must be good at it. Going off his Intelligence stat and deal making I would take that while he is a pushover and can't speak well he isn't stupid and knows how to hash out good deals with clients for the catering business. This loops back into him being a pushover so others easily swoop in and take credit for his hard work and abysmal self-esteem allows it to happen because he gaslight's himself into believing they are right thus feeding into his sense of self-worth.

Which I now realize is thinking far too hard about this but I gots nothing better to do. 




* * *

"W-w- I was really comfy growing up. M-my parents had a lot of m-money. I was a salesman at my d-dad's company."

You look down at the grass mat underneath you. It feels a little like bragging telling her all this after she admitted she grew up in a dungeon.

"Things w-were pretty good. Th- then I got a girlfriend and, it didn't go w-well between us. S-she broke up with me."

Not wanting to completely murder your reputation, you keep the more embarrassing details to yourself.

"I d-d-developed a stutter. I uh, left to work for a c-catering service because, well, I c-couldn't- she told everyone a lot of bad things a-about me. And I c-couldn't talk as well anymore."

Gwen listens through your sob story, still chewing on her Pecha berry. She must think you're even more of a loser now. You had everything and lost it all because of some girl.

"We fix."

"H-huh?"

She raises a paw and points at you.

"Stutter. We fix. Start, talk slow. Less word. One at time." 

* * *

  * Whoa, Gwen is secretly wholesome. Try to follow her direction. Tell her he'd like to take this competition as a chance to start fresh and regain his confidence - to be less afraid to experience new things with other people. 
  * I imagine he'd give her the intellectual answer. It's psychological, can't be cured and all that. One word at a time seems like a crock too since he just stuttered saying 'huh'. 
  * I would say it is a case by case basis. Someone I know suffered a bit of a break down a few years ago which resulted in a stutter. It cleared out on its own after a few weeks. Who is to say that the more confidence Murdoch gains the more mastery he would get over his own speech?  
  
Also we should thank Gwen for wishing to help us with this. Any and all chances to bond with her should be taken.



* * *

"Thhank you."  
  
You draw out the word, trying not to stutter. You manage not to fumble over your tongue, but it comes out as more of a lisp instead.  
  
"I'm nnot ssure if th-thiss will help..."  
  
Defeated, you shake your head. Gwen walks over and places a paw on your back.  
  
"First try. Take time, learn talk good."  
  
Having someone cheer you on and pat you on the back feels really good after so long feeling alone.  
  
"Th-thanks for trying, Gwen. I'll k-keep trying to improve. B-but I think it's really my confidence, n-not my speaking skills. All in my head."  
  
"Then we train more. Get you confident."  
  
Gwen stretches and steps back out of the hut, waiting to see if you follow. You could go for another round if you feel like it. It's starting to get late, you're not sure if you want to tire out before you even go see Victor tonight.  
  
**> Train more with Gwen?**  
**> Rest up for tonight?**

* * *

  * Go for another round with Gwen. He needs to learn and we should try not to disappoint her if we can help it. Not to mention it almost went somewhere good last time. Bring a pecha berry along. 
  * Go with Gwen, she's been kind to us and deserves the extra effort. 
  * I second training with Gwen 
  * One more round with Gwen. Let's work up a sweat. 
  * Let's train with Gwen. Either speech therapy or battling. 



* * *

You and Gwen return to the training yard of Stepstone Village. After you told her about your pathetic past she didn't make fun of you. Instead she wanted to help. Gwen isn't a very good speech therapist but she wants to help you gain more confidence in yourself.  
  
**> Willpower: (10/10)**  
You decided to go with Gwen for another round of training. The two of you go back and forth for another hour. At the end you feel tired but strangely satisfied.  
  
**> Murdoch learns +Combat from Gwen**  
  
"Thanks Gwen. That was nice."  
  
Your gruff partner bumps you affectionately with her shoulder. You don't feel as nervous around her anymore.  
  
"See. Get better. Just practice."  
  
**> Intelligence: Advantage (18, 6/10)**  
You were even able to get the hang of your Ember move. You needed to roll your tongue back to let the fire tube open up underneath. It feels obvious now that you think about it.  
  
The sun has gone behind the cliffs around the village. You and Gwen walk back to her hut in the dark. You still have plans tonight with Victor, the Noibat librarian. You don't feel sweaty. Your breath is very hot. In fact your whole body radiates heat. Fire Types might not be at much risk of overheating, but you definitely shed heat.  
  
You don't feel very sleepy-tired either. You remember you ate a few Chesto berries today. You're caffeinated and ready for a late night.  
  
Gwen steps inside of her hut and pads down her straw mat before lying down. She notices you lingering outside and tilts her head to the side with a silent question.

* * *

  * Not really intested in Victor, but if Gwen's getting ready for bed things aren't likely to go anywhere with her tonight after it got all wholesome. Tell her Victor asked us to come visit him tonight. If she expresses any interest, invite her to come with, otherwise just head out. 



* * *

"I'm um, going to see Victor."

You hesitate, not sure how much to tell her. You're not sure what she would think. Before you can stop yourself you blurt out an offer.

"Do you want to come t-too?"

Too late you realize how awkward it's going to be if she accepts. Gwen yawns widely.

"Not big for books. Bad reader. Good night."

When she closes her eyes and lays her head down you sigh in relief. You leave her to her rest and waddle to the path up the cliffside to Victor's library. For safety you drop to all fours and crawl up the incline.

It is dark in the shadow of the cliffs and even darker inside. You can't see your feet in front of you as you step inside.

"Vic- Victor?"

You pad further in. It's eerily quiet and being alone in the dark starts to make your heart race. Was this just some bad joke?

Then you hear something outside behind you and whirl around. Victor's silhouette is outside the cave entrance rubbing his face with a cloth. He drops it down and you can see his bright yellow eyes clearly. He flaps past you and over behind something.

"Apologies for keeping you waiting. I was just washing up a little."

A flick of a match and the light of a tiny fire illuminates Victor's ears behind his desk. He takes out some candles and lights them to help you see. A wet washcloth is hung off the side of the desk.

"Better?"

He comes out from behind the desk, his fluff sticking every which way from being rubbed with the cloth and still a little damp. He self consciously smooths it down. 

* * *

  * I guess greet him and comment that you were expecting your night vision to be a little better. 
  * Wasn't this a book club? Where are the others? Are we too early?  
Use ember to help light candles. 



* * *

"H-hello. I thought I would see in t-the dark better."

He brings you a candle in a holder and you light it with a tiny puff of Ember. You settle down onto the floor and look around.

"This is a book club, r-right? Nobody else is here. Am I too early?"

Victor's bright eyes flutter as he looks down and tugs at one of his wings. He deflates from his previous excitement when he came in.

"Book club. Right. It appears no one else could make it. Suppose that makes it just us."

He laughs halfheartedly and takes a book from his desk. The same one you saw him reading before, you recognize it by the brightly colored bookmark ribbon.

"I've been reading The Face in the Mirror. I wouldn't want to spoil it for you, I don't imagine you've read anything from our world? Were you reading anything before you came here?" 

* * *

  * Oh, now he thinks we're actually here to read books.

Say, Sweet Scent was really, uh, "effective" on Gwen earlier, right? This might be a good time to see if we can be more subtle with it? If Victor notices what we're up to right away, that's fine, too. It'll still be fun to watch him squirm. 

  * Tell him we've been reading a lot on account of the quarantine. Explain what that's about when he asks. See if we can get an impression of how scientifically developed pokemon in this world are and try to blow his mind his mind with some science trivia he might not know based on that. Meanwhile, try the subtle sweet scent the other anon mentioned. If he asks about it claim it's just the smell lingering from your battle training with Gwen. 



* * *

"Lots actually, on account of the q-quarantine."  
  
Victor takes a seat opposite the candle from you like it were a little bonfire. His large satellite-dish ears angle towards you when he listens to you talk.  
  
"Quarantine? Was there some manner of sickness?"  
  
"Oh yeah. L-lots of people getting a bad flu. All events were cancelled so I, I got laid off from my catering job."  
  
You look down at the candle and the floor, memories of rent panic and money woes flooding your mind. If you ever go back you're sure to be evicted already, if not presumed dead. What will your family think? They might not be surprised. They've been worried about you for a while.  
  
Victor picks up on your sudden down mood and tries to change the topic to pull you out of the spiral.  
  
"And you were reading a lot?"  
  
"Y-yeah. A lot of, of smut on the internet."  
  
Normally you'd be embarrassed to admit it, but he writes it.  
  
"The internet? I've never heard of that."  
  
**> Power: Disadvantage (8, 4/10)**  
You try to subtly release some of your pheromones. Instead as you stretch out your tail you accidentally release more than you meant to.  
  
Victor notices the smell and his nose twitches.  
  
"Oh my, that's a very strong smell. Ah. Sorry, maybe it was rude to point out."  
  
"D-don't worry. I know it's strong, sorry. Gwen was helping me practice b-battling. I must still have some Sweet Scent on me."  
  
Adjusting his seating to cross his legs in front of his crotch area, Victor folds his wingtips on top of his feet.  
  
"It's very fruity, I like it. If it's not too forward to ask, what kind of smut do you enjoy? From writer to reader."  
  
His tension melts and he relaxes more easily, lightly intoxicated by the perfumed scent.

* * *

  * tell him about your two bat related girls you like in your universe.  
Fidget and Laylee. 
  * Admit to empathizing with submissive main characters. Since he likes the smell, offer to produce some more.



* * *

"If you like it, do you want me to k-keep it going?"  
  
Victor is taking slow, deep breaths, enjoying the smell. You can't see his lap past his wings, but his fidgeting and shifting must mean he feels it hitting him.  
  
"I think it would be wise to maintain current levels, Murdoch."  
  
He clears his throat and flicks his eyes away.  
  
"Don't want to get too ahead of myself. I don't have a great constitution for this type of thing."  
  
In spite of the deep blush on his nose and ears, he is holding tightly to his composure.  
  
"I usually empathize with the um, t-the submissive characters. I get nervous when I have to t-take the lead. I also like when the d-dominant is smaller or weaker looking."  
  
More squeaking laughs, and Victor lifts up a wingtip to his mouth. You catch a peek of something pink poking out.  
  
"You and I have something in common then. I try to branch out when I write, but it always comes back to wanting to be overpowered by a... typically feminine species."  
  
His nervous tittering hides his embarrassment at saying it out loud.  
  
"Oh d-definitely. There were actually two sm- s- tiny bat girls, I liked. Very cute. There was some good d-dominant art of them."  
  
You two might not be the most compatible as two subs, but you feel a bit of camaraderie knowing you know someone who feels the same way as you. Victor is giving you a bit of a curious look.  
  
When he talks next he's more confident than before.  
  
"You know, I fear I may have been too forward when you said you were hoping to get acquainted with some Pokemon around here. I'm not sure we were on the same page."  
  
His gaze drifts down to between his legs.  
  
"It might be your scent talking, but. You brought up bat girls. How do you feel about boys?"

* * *

  * Boys are cute, too!
  * Tell him bat boys can be pretty appealing too in the right circumstances. Approach him and use more Sweet Scent. Try not to be obvious about it, and if he questions it say the smell is just stronger because there's less distance between them. 
    * eh he'll know and i think he also wants it no need to play coy. 
  * Maybe. If it was a trap and I was too horny to care. 



* * *

You slink over the candle, its light from below casting shadows across your face and body as the patterns along your back glow in response to the warmth.  
  
"Boys can be cute too."  
  
He already admitted to liking your scent, so you don't try to hide it.  
  
>Power: Disadvantage (10, 18/10)  
The pheromones in the air grow heavy. Victor swallows and crawls forward on his wingtips, taking a whiff. His small, erect penis hangs under him, revealing that he isn't very well endowed.  
  
You feel your own poking out of your cockslit, against the inside of your kilt.  
  
"I could pretend to be a bat girl if you like. I... have something I could put on."  
  
He reaches up and caresses your cheek with one of his wings. He feels along the edge of your golden collar. You wonder if he has anything to use as a leash. Even though you don't really like to be the dom, some petplay could balance the scales.  
  
**> Have Victor be trappy?**  
**> Find a leash?**

* * *

  * Find a leash 
  * Trappy Batty best batty 
  * It's gotta be a leash in this thread. 
  * trap da bat!



* * *

"Sure! B-but first I um, do you have a l-leash? F-for me, not for you. I like to be the... pet."

Victor feels the smooth golden surface of the ring around your neck. He looks out into the night beyond his cave.

"Well, if I were a betting bat I would say Amor has one somewhere. I... hold on."

He gets up and walks behind his desk, his little pecker bouncing up and down as he goes. Victor starts drawing out of a roll of fabric on his desk. It looks like the same silky material his bookmark is made from.

When he comes back around he has a length of soft red ribbon. You lift up your head to give him access to the underside of your neck and he slides it gently between your sleek skin and the golden hoop. Victor ties it to the collar and gives it an experimental tug. The ribbon holds.

"Is that alright? It's not uncomfortable is it?"

"I-it's okay."

Your scales aren't as sensitive as your skin was as a human. It might have been annoying before but you barely feel it.

"Then sit tight my sweet, while your mistress gets dressed."

Victor leans down and kisses your forehead, stroking your chin with the very tip of his digits. He goes back into some privacy behind his desk and you hear him taking something out of a drawer.

There is a rustling of fabric. You feel tempted to look, but you curl around the warm candle and obey your mistress.

A tentative step back into the firelight. Victor peeks around the corner of the desk and then slips into view, adjusting a frilly white headdress affixed to his ears. He's wearing a maid dress with a little silver nametag that reads Victoria. He tries to saunter up to you seductively, a demure smile on his face.

"Well boy, what do you think?"

Victor does a twirl, his short skirt fluttering up and revealing he's slipped on a set of blue panties. You wonder for a moment if another guild chosen brought this particular fetish into the world, and if you should be thanking him or her. 

* * *

  * Tell "her" she's gorgeous, rub your claws gently down her tips, get a feel for the curves of Victoria's body. Rile yourself up but try to enjoy the sight more and let Victoria lead this dance. 



* * *

Lying at your mistress' feet, you rub up from the tips of 'her' toes to her ankles and the plump fluff of her thighs. You linger, allowing your bookish friend to take the lead.

"I think you look g- gorgeous."

"That's a good boy."

He turns around to face you again. With a gentle tug of your leash, 'Victoria' draws your head higher, your snout bumping into a small bulge inside of his blue panties. A tinge of masculine scent meets your nostrils. The smell is quickly overshadowed by the sweet scent of your pheromones hanging in the air as the trappy bat undoes your cloth kilt and lowers it to the floor away from the candle lighting your escapades. Fully freed from containment, your dick dangles beneath you and a fresh wave of pheromones come with it. Not just that sweet scent of yours' but the musk of masculine arousal.

He leans down, tips of his wingclaws running from your scalp down to the nape of your neck, then draws your head out from under his skirt. He whispers softly in your ear.

"If I do anything you don't like, just say bookmark and I'll stop, okay?"

You nod along.

"Now, give mistress kisses."  
  
Nuzzling your snout beneath his chin, you draw your forked lizard tongue out to lick at his neck. The sensation of his fur against your tongue is less unpleasant than you expected it to be. It helps that he just washed up and must have treated it with some kind of hair care moisturizer.  
  
You stick your snout down into the chest of his dress, burying yourself in the smell and feeling of his silken fluff.  
  
His claws wander down towards your back and hips, running up and down your sides. Your body still feels very warm after your training session, and the warmth of the candle near your nether bits is more pleasant than frightening with your Fire typing.  
  
"You're so warm. Like a little furnace."  
  
Victor pulls away from your nuzzling and leads you by the leash deeper into the library, out of view of the moonlit cave entrance. He leads you between aisles of books, in the dark where the candlelight doesn't reach and only the glow of his eyes and your back break through the blackness.  
  
"Your mistress has been feeling lonely. Why don't we try one of your special tricks."  
  
The foreplay starts to get more intimate as Victoria orders you to...  
  
**> Select two:**  
**> Slide into the maid uniform with him for warmth**  
**> Remove his underwear using only your mouth**  
**> Be his reading chair**  
**> Present him your stick to play with**

* * *

  * remove underwear 
  * slide into that dress and remove his underwear 
  * >>Be his reading chair  
>>Present him your stick to play with  
Face sitting and footjob please.
  * >Remove underwear  
>Be his chair  
A natural combo.



* * *

**> Remove underwear: 3**  
**> Be a chair: 2**  
"This is starting to get a little tight. Fetch."  
  
Victor pulls on the elastics of his panties and snaps them against his hips. You crawl up to him and reach up with your claws, but he tugs on your collar and forces your snout to press up against his balls again inside their cloth pouch. There is a little spot of pre you can see.  
  
"Ah ah ah. Your little claws have been all over the floor, so unsanitary. Be a good boy and fetch properly."  
  
You obey, opening your mouth and sliding the top half of your snout inside. His scent is heavier inside of the fabric and you feel your cock twitch, yearning for some contact. Victor's twitches almost in sync, pumping against your nose.  
  
With the underwear between your jaws you pull down, sliding it over his hips and down to his ankles. Victor steps out, one foot at a time. You look up, presenting the fetched panties to your mistress.  
  
"Very good."  
  
He takes them from you and places them aside on a shelf, bending down and pulling you forward to plant a kiss on the tip of your snout.  
  
"Mistress wants to sit and read, pet. But mistress' chair is so far away."  
  
Claws guide you down to the floor and your rump into the air. Victor settles down straddling your face, his small furry purple sack resting just in front of your eyes. Your snout pokes through his thighs and out the other side. He isn't very heavy. It would be more comfortable without the cave floor.  
  
"... You can breathe okay?"  
  
"G-good down here."  
  
Reassured of your safety, Victor reaches into one of the library shelves flanking the two of you and pulls off a book, using your raised rump as a bookrest.  
  
"I'm clean down there if you're into that sort of... I mean."  
  
Victor clears his throat.  
  
"Why don't you give mistress' hole some attention?"  
  
**> Obey**  
**> Bookmark**

* * *

  * Obey of course 
  * Obey 



* * *

You open your mouth just enough to let your long, slithering tongue loll out. To tell the truth you're still getting used to using it. Curving up above your snout, you reach the equally trimmed and washed fur of Victor's backside.  
  
Following the curve of his body you find the fleshy ring you were looking for. To your surprise you find it already slick, at first raising some red flags, but then the fruity taste hits you. Victor must have already applied some flavored lubricant when he was getting changed.  
  
The mild sweet taste has a tingling kick to it, and mixes with the saltiness of his skin.  
  
**> Intelligence: Advantage (1, 11/10)**  
You've done a lot of cooking. This tastes distinctly of Leppa. The berry is an aphrodisiac and like Chesto it can re-energize a tired body.  
  
Running your tongue along the edges of Victor's hole, you feel it twitch and squeeze. His dick twitches as well, bobbing above your head. The intoxicating taste of the Leppa combines with your own arousal and you feel a heat building up in your loins.  
  
**> Lewd: Disadvantage (1, 4/10)**  
Instinctively you reach back and stroke your length with a claw, but you find even that drives you quickly over the edge. Your body convulses and you gasp as you spray cum onto the floor beneath you and onto your belly. Your orgasm dies out and your dick begins to shrink back into its slit.  
  
**> Lewd: Disadvantage (1, 12/10)**  
Victor is panting. You can hear him. The book he was pretending to read is already set aside.  
  
"I'm close too..."  
  
As he tries not to fall over the edge, Victor orders you to finish him using...  
  
**> Select one:**  
**> Tongue (Rimming)**  
**> Tongue (Tonguejob)**  
**> Tongue (Dirty Talk)**  
**> Claws (Handjob)**  
**> You cannot use your dick, you already came**  
**> Tail (Tail Pegging)**

* * *

  * >Tonguejob  
this
  * He was into Dirty Talk if I recall, let's go with that. 
  * rimming 



* * *

"T-tongue..."  
  
For once you aren't the one stuttering and gasping. He doesn't seem to get the words out, but you remember what his profile said when Hoopa showed it to you.  
  
**> Lewd 1**  
You slide out from under him-  
And before you can decide how to finish him, you are hit directly in the snout as he erupts prematurely, hit directly in the right nostil. You sneeze and blow some of his spunk out of your nose.  
  
"Oh, oh I'm so sorry."  
  
Victor looks at you in embarrassment, covering his mouth with his wings.

* * *

  * Ah that was cute it's like a gay teens first XD.  
Awkward overstimulated and neither one gets the the other off they both blow before the other can make them. 
  * I think we should both laugh to break the awkward moment.  
Then say thanks for the fun. 
  * Clear that nostril and share a laugh about what a pair of premature, subby sluts they are. Tell him it was fun and find a place to wash up. 



* * *

You reach up and run a claw through the cum on your face. Laughter starts to bubble up, but you remember when you accidentally blew too early and got laughed at.  
  
"N-neither of us even t-touched the other's dick. We're both such s-s-subby sluts aren't we?"  
  
Victor's embarrassed face cracks and he giggles behind his wings. You finally stop holding back and put a foreleg around his shoulders, the two of you falling back to laugh together on the cool stone floor.  
  
"It was f-fun though."  
  
Reining in his shrieking laughs, Victor covers his mouth again and sits up.  
  
"I do hope no one heard me. I can be very loud."  
  
**> Intelligence: Advantage (4, 12/10)**  
His eyes fall on the cum splatter you left on the floor and he gets up to take the washcloth from his desk and wipe it up before it dries on. He systematically wipes, folds, wipes, and scrubs until all traces are gone.  
  
"S-so the maid outfit isn't all for,sh- for show?"  
  
"Oh, I like things just so. Cleaning comes with liking things clean. Here, allow me to get the worst of that off of you."  
  
Victor tosses the used rag into a basket with his lightly stained panties and fishes a new one out of his desk to wipe off your face and chest. Remarkably not a drop got on his maid dress.  
  
"What say I show you to the local hot springs for a late night bath, Murdoch?"  
  
"Are you going to w-wear the maid outfit?"  
  
"Outside? Heavens no. I prefer to keep by private business behind... ahem, the door is a work in progress."  
  
He shoots a look out of the aisle at the open cave entrance.

* * *

  * Adorable.

Join him at the hot springs. It would be nice to be clean enough that Gwen doesn't immediately know what happened, not that it really matters if she does find out. 

  * The maid outfit doesn't scream hot springs, but if Victoria wore a towel in a feminine way then Victor wouldn't be the one taking two baths in a day like some neat freak. It's the perfect plan. 
  * i'd like that very much. 



* * *

"If you wore a towel in a feminine way maybe, m-maybe it wouldn't look like you were taking two baths in one day?"

Now that the high from your orgasm is dying down you find yourself stuttering less with Victor. You feel much more comfortable around he and Gwen. Both know embarrassing things about you and haven't judged you about it.

Victor tugs the strings of his maid uniform and slips out of it, giving a little wiggle of his behind and walking daintily to his desk. He looks back at you and smiles.

"I appreciate the thought Murdoch. I'm afraid no amount of deception will disguise the sole Noibat in this little village."

He slides his desk drawer shut with his threads tucked inside and meets you at the exit of his cave. The brisk night air blowing in reminds you how much the perfumey smell of your sweet scent fills the place up.

The two of you step outside and Victor leads the way up higher along the cliffside. The carven path curves around the contours of the great clawmark that forms the canyon and the path rises up and out. The wind gets more powerful above the shielding canyon wall and Victor pulls you closer for warmth, walking with one wing around you. He leads you in the direction of another of the clawprint canyons, past hardy ball cacti growing in the windswept soil.

"There are volcanic caves in the area, and so there are many hotsprings throughout the region. They call this place Groudon's Steps. It might just be literal if the legends are to be believed."  
  
While he leads you, Victor gives you a small geography lesson on the area.  
  
"I'm taking you to Bigclaw Spring. It's the nearest, so many of the villagers frequent it. This late at night it should be only us two."  
  
The trek carries on down another path carved into the rock. It goes down into the clawtip of one of the adjacent canyons and you can see the burbling water running down layers of bowls carved into the stone wall, all the way down to a final big pool at the bottom. Multiple little streams run off of the big pool and into the canyon.  
  
Victor could easily flap down to one of the hanging bowl ledges. You feel less confident about jumping anywhere near this huge drop. So he leads you to the bottom at the edge of the water. You can feel its warmth.  
  
Victor dips a toe in, then sits down on the edge and lets his feet both dangle into the water. You turn around and ease your lower half backwards into the water. The warm water feels fantastic. You don't even need to take it slow and get used to it, the heat just feels natural.  
  
"What is your world like?"  
  
Victor makes some conversation as he gradually eases himself in to join you. The two of you are alone in the privacy of the semi-wilderness. You could ask him about anything you want out here as well.  
  
**> Ask Victor anything?**

* * *

  * Loud. Very little greenery  
and there are towering homes and structures made of glass metal and concrete everywhere.  
it feels cramped people crammed together in small spaces and even smaller places to walk. not like out here here. everything even the little village seems quite and full of greenery.  
and the smells its so different here you smell nothing but life there... you smell nothing but filth, when you even bother too.  
Its no wonder our world is the way it is... always getting sick or always angry or miserable.  
but yet its full of wonders.  
Machines we get into that are faster then a rapidaish we fly in machines faster and more powerful then even the eon twins.  
and we are connected with a special connection called the internet its like being a psychic type without all the cool stuff we can all just sorta read each others thoughts because we place them out for all to read and hear.  
How about you?  
What is your world like? 
  * Tell him the human world was basically just more technologically advanced and without talking pokemon as far as we can tell so far. Note that pokemon in general seem more more sexually open here based on the four we've interacted with so far and especially given that Hoopa seems to want our guild to be themed around it.  
Speaking of Groudon and Hoopa, ask about legendaries in this world. So far everyone seems excited about this competition, but do legendaries just get up to these kind of shennanigans all the time? Pretty sure they weren't big on public events back in Murdoch's world.



* * *

"It was loud and bright all the time. Made of glass, m-metal, concrete. Very little green."  
  
You take a deep breath of the clean, wild air.  
  
"Filled with the smell of smog and p-people. People living in small spaces."  
  
Sinking down to his shoulders in the warm water, Victor sighs in comfort. He looks up at your distant expression remembering home.  
  
"It sounds dreadful."  
  
"It w-wasn't all bad. We had machines to get around faster than a Rapidash or t-the Eon twins. And the internet. We could use it to talk to people around the world, l-like we were all psychic."  
  
Victor shifts around in his seat to face you.  
  
"Anyone in the whole world?"  
  
His eyes flick up to the sky as he leans back and lets himself float on the water.  
  
"I have some telepathy. However, it can connect only to those I'm close with. I can't imagine being able to connect with anyone, anywhere."  
  
"The biggest change is, the Pokemon where I come from don't talk. And you're all very s-sexually open here. Hoopa even put this fetish thing on my guild card."  
  
Drifting past you on his back, gently paddling his feet, Victor lets himself stop right in front of you.  
  
"Have you always been able to read footprint glyphs?"  
  
"Um."  
  
You remember the banner above Amor's post office and trading post. It was written in what looked like different footprints.  
  
"I think they might have always talked, my friend. It's only now that you can understand them. It's well documented that chosen humans learn local languages with no effort, as if they'd spoken them for years."  
  
This whole guild business just gets more confusing as you go.  
  
"Do the Legendary Pokemon do this a lot? Mess with people? B-back home they barely show themselves. Your world seems so b-bizarre."  
  
"That would require some background information to truly make sense. Would you like a very abridged history lesson?"

* * *

  * Sure, some history might be helpful. 



* * *

You get into a more comfortable position with your head resting on the edge of the pool of warm spring water. Victor swims over and sits next to you.

"When the Legends shaped our world and sprinkled us across it, they left us soon after. Pokemon came together in communities where there were abundant resources, but there were always those left without. There was a lot of war and crime in that time, and we call it the Time of Strife."

"The Legends returned after two generations and found us warring with each other, to their dismay. To solve the problems they spread abundant food and resources across the world. Suddenly everyone had enough to get by. The Legends forbade the Pokemon from starting wars and left again."

"What followed was the Time of Plenty. Berries grew in the street and sprouted anew when plucked. Trees cut down to make homes rose back out of the ground the next day. It was a paradise. Yet the Pokemon grew fat and lazy and succumbed to decadence. There was nothing to do, and they spent all their time finding ways to entertain themselves. Many a story tells of the atrocities they performed for the sake of a thrill."

"In two generations the Legends returned. They saw the decadence of the world and were again disgusted. The abundant resources they had gifted the world were swept away and turned to ash. It was then that one Legend proposed a solution. Your own acquaintance Hoopa was the one to establish the Mystery Dungeons."

"Moving, changing labyrinths were created and strewn throughout the world. Within each labyrinth were the abundant resources the world had lost. Each time one went into them, berries and treasures in troves would be found. But they were no longer in the streets to be plucked at leisure. Instead they were guarded by Empties, feral Pokemon without the gift of thought. Mew did not wish to bind thinking people to the dungeons, and made the Empties that they could be fought without concern of conscience."

"The Legends left as they had before, to return in two generations. What they found were powerful guilds established to unearth the resources of the labyrinths. But the guilds had control over those resources. As they had in the Time of Strife, the powerful took what they pleased and the rest scraped and served at their feet. We call this the First Age of the Guilds."

"Once more, our Legends looked on in disappointment. They disbanded the guilds and banished their leaders from our world, for they had grown too powerful for the common Pokemon to overcome. This time, Hoopa and Celebi came together to propose the edicts of a new age. They built the guild system as we know it today."

"A group of champions are chosen every five years by six of the Legends to become guildmasters. They are taken from another world, to be certain they have no ties to old powers or preconceptions of the world and its ways. For three years they will compete to become the highest ranked guild. Then they will be allowed to continue for two more years."

"When the time comes for the new champions to be chosen, the former guilds are forced to disband and retire, that they will not become too powerful as they did in the First Age."

Victor stops, locking eyes with you.

"That brings us to you. This is the start of the seventh set of guilds since the beginning of the Second Age of Guilds. You are to be one of the six people shaping society for the next five years." 

* * *

  * Interesting. That makes the world very young.

Tell Victor he probably shouldn't get his hopes up seeing as Hoopa literally called Murdoch a joke pick to his face. Speaking of our 'acquaintance' though, inform Victor that he was on the list of potential partners that Hoopa said owed him favors and ask how that happened. 




* * *

"W-wow. That would make your world really young."

During his story Victor began to run his wingclaws over your chest, rubbing away the dried on traces of your late night experimentation. He lifts up one claw and softly trickles water onto your face, forcing you to close your eyes as he rubs the other marks off of your snout.

"Would it? I don't have a reference for how old a world is supposed to be."

You blink your eyes clear when Victor finishes scrubbing.

"Ours is, a lot older. T-tens of thousands of years, at least."

"Truly? That is a very long time."

It strikes you as odd that they have fossils here with such a short history. But other topics come to mind.

"I shouldn't really get my hopes up. Hoopa called me a j- a- a joke pick. R-right to my face."

That news surprises your new bat friend. He rubs your shoulder and smiles.

"I know Hoopa can be an odd one sometimes. Yet I believe he would not have chosen you if he thought it was impossible for you to succeed."

"By the, um, by the way. When Hoopa had me pick a partner, he l-listed you as one. What did Hoopa do that y-you owe him a favor?"

His bright face dimming with lingering regret and ill memories in his eyes, Victor looks down into the reflection of the moon on the water.

"I prayed to anyone who would listen to take me away from everything. Hoopa answered and delivered myself and all of my possessions to this village." 

* * *

  * Kind of seems like Hoopa was preparing for this competition by collecting these favors and putting pokemon near where the guild would be. Maybe he is taking it a little bit seriously.

Sounds like the subject's touchy if he didn't elaborate. Let's not pry. Tell him we're glad he at least got that wish granted. 




* * *

You decide not to press him on the subject and return his gesture by rubbing his shoulder.  
  
"I'm glad your wish got granted."  
  
Victor rests his claw over your own. He doesn't look up yet, but his expression changes from distant and sad to thoughtful.  
  
"As am I. I've made a good friend here. You may not have chosen me as your partner, but are you looking for guild recruits?"  
  
Lifting his head to meet your gaze, Victor looks hopeful.  
  
"Dungeons and danger are not my forte, but I believe I mentioned a particular ability of mine. My telepathy lets me communicate from afar. I could help your guild stay connected. Even look up information you might need out there."  
  
**> Recruit Victor to the Hoopa Guild?**  
**> Slots remaining: 6**

* * *

  * I'm all for recruiting Victor here. He's cute, and that actually sounds super useful. 
  * Definitely, that would be super helpful. 



* * *

"Of course you can join! I- I actually wasn't sure how to do the recruiting thing."  
  
The news makes Victor squeak in delight.  
  
"Fantastic! All we need is your guild card."  
  
You reach for your clothes on the edge of the hot springs, only to realize you only have a kilt. You never brought the item bag with you since it felt like it was Gwen's.  
  
"Oh, I don't have the c-card on me."  
  
You feel through your kilt just to be sure but there's nothing there. Beside you, Victor pulls himself out of the water and sits on the edge of the natural pool.  
  
"That's okay. We can take care of formalities another time. I think you ought to be clean enough to be presentable. Would you like to head back?"  
  
The water is warm and relaxing. You might fall asleep out here if you say and even if it's close to the village sleeping in the wild seems unsafe.  
  
"Okay."  
  
Pulling yourself out after him, you realize neither of you brought any towels. You dry off best as you can with your kilt while Victor shakes himself off. His huge ears flop around and send water flying.  
  
Together the two of you walk back to the village. The wind of the high steppes is very bitter now that you're wet, but it also dries you off quickly.  
  
It's well past midnight now and Gwen must be asleep. You consider whether you want to slip back in or not.  
  
**> Return to Gwen's hut quietly?**  
**> Ask to stay over with Victor?**

* * *

  * Let's head back to Gwen's. No telling when she'll want to be moving in the morning, and it'd be best not to leave her wondering where we are. 



* * *

When you get back down into the village canyon you part ways with Victor to go back to Gwen's hut.  
  
"We might have our first m-mission tomorrow. I should get some rest."  
  
"Oh, I hope I didn't keep you too late. Get yourself rested."  
  
Victor pulls you into a hug with one wing and splits off when the two of you pass his cave. You climb the rest of the way down on your own.  
  
When you get back to Gwen's home she is curled up on her straw mat, softly breathing. Good thing she doesn't snore. Your lizard limbs drag you quietly across the room to settle onto your bed of fresh grasses. After laying your kilt out to dry you try to find a spot you are comfortable in and drift to sleep.  
  
**> Murdoch has gained experience for Indulging in: Traps, Crossdressing**  
  
**> Murdoch can learn Dragon Rage**  
**> Dragon Rage (Power): Causes minor injury. Injury increases if user was hit by an attack. Cannot be increased or reduced by other effects.**  
**> Murdoch already knows 4 Moves. Forget a Move to learn Dragon Rage?**

* * *

  * We really should have taken that disadvantage to fitness instead of power. I think we have to pass on learning dragon rage, just to keep our one attack that doesn't have disadvantage 



* * *

** >Murdoch did not learn Dragon Rage **

To be continued  



	3. The First Mission

The next morning arrives. You wake up to someone nudging you in the stomach with their paw and groggily open your eyes to see that it's Gwen. Everything that happened wasn't a strange fever dream after all.   
  
You're laying sprawled out on your back. Your back is a little sore and you don't feel rested. The sun is shining in through the doorway of the hut and it feels warm where your tail is lying in it. The sun is shining on your kilt. You hope it dried out overnight.  
  
"Wake. Eat. Can't sleep all day."  
  
Gwen rolls a Chesto to you with her snout. She turns and walks back to her own mat where she chows down on a pair of Pecha berries.  
  
Gwen places a paw on the two wanted posters from the other day.  
  
"Think we go catch. See you act. No worry. I can handle solo if you bad."  
  
You remember the two criminals. A ghost that possesses people, and knowing what you've seen so far it's probably to do lewd things to them. The other is a runaway thief.  
  
"Which? You first time. You pick."  
  
>Intelligence: Advantage (6, 20/10)  
Morgrem is a middle evolution. The thief doesn't sound as dangerous from their description but he might be stronger than the Gastly.

* * *

  * The gastly sounds interesting, let's go with that. 
    * Seconding. Murdoch has a decent advantage over the gastly as is. 



* * *

Forcing yourself to roll over onto your stomach, you rub your eyes and take a second look at the posters. With one claw you point at the Gastly and with the other you take a bite of the Chesto. It was thoughtful of her to bring you what amounts to a morning coffee.  
  
"The ghost doesn't sound so bad."  
  
Gwen folds over the wanted posters and picks them up between two paws, sliding them into the item bag.  
  
"Good. Jerk. Want fight."  
  
Gwen pulls the bag up and lets it hang around her neck while she finishes her breakfast. The reenergizing chemicals of the berry hit your brain like a splash of cold water and you start to feel more awake.  
  
"You gone late. Have fun?"  
  
The blunt tone of Gwen's voice makes it tough to tell whether she means fun in an innocent way.  
  
She should have the guild card in that bag. Maybe you could bring her to see Victor about joining before you go.  
  
>Intelligence: Advantage (10, 8/10)  
Something you remember from Victor's history lesson is that Pokemon from Dungeons are supposed to be 'empty' to make tying them to the Dungeons less morally questionable. But Gwen said she hatched and grew up in a Dungeon.  
  
Gwen must have noticed you staring at her because she huffs and tilts her head to the side.  
  
"Food on face?"  
  
She brushes at her face with the fur of her foreleg. She actually did have a bit of Pecha juice on her face, and seems satisfied to find she wiped it off.

* * *

  * We'll have to ask about the dungeon thing at some point, but for now let's just tell her Victor has agreed to join the guild as a coordinator of sorts and get him signed up. 
    * Seconding this to mention that we've got a new member 
  * Rude to inquire about it, mention that you spent the night meeting the locals and ask how she would feel about letting Victor into the guild. 
  * All she knows is he went to a book club. She also might not be great at innuendo.  
Leave Victor out of this first mission. If we tell Gwen he wants to join now she'll insist that he come along and then she'll have to babysit two meek boys.



* * *

"I spent some time getting to know p-people. Mostly Victor, but I talked to Amor y-yesterday. Obviously. Since I er, got the posters."  
  
You think about telling her about Victor right away, but you decide to test the waters first.  
  
"Also, Victor, he was wanting to join the guild. D-do you think it's a good idea?"  
  
Gwen's lower jaw juts out in thought. One of her ears twitches and she reaches up to scratch at it.  
  
"You leader. You decide."  
  
"B-but you're my partner. We're in this together. I know he's not the b-best at fighting, but he still can do unique things. Like coordinating with t-telepathy."  
  
One of her eyes narrows and she looks at you crookedly.  
  
"Telepathy? Not psychic."  
  
>Intelligence: Advantage (12, 19/10)  
It's true that telepathic abilities are rare outside of Psychic types. Actually, you think Noibat is one of the only ones that can develop it naturally.  
  
"Y-yeah. Trust me, he's not lying. I know it sounds weird."  
  
You actually don't know for sure yourself yet, but you want to believe him. You can get him to show you how it works.  
  
Gwen appears to accept your answer. She nods and stands up.   
  
"I will trust. We go see, then go hunt."

You slip your kilt back on. Some part of you is thankful you didn't end up with morning wood in front of Gwen while you were naked. Your endurance isn't very good and you still feel spent from last night.  
  
Gwen naturally falls into taking the lead and you follow. Together you climb up into the village cliffs where Victor lives. Gwen didn't wake you up first thing in the morning and it's already close to noon out.  
  
When you arrive at his cave you see Victor hanging upsidedown from his perch on the ceiling, peacefully asleep. There is a folded triangle of paper on his desk, facing the entryway. It says "Borrow what you need, please do not take them out of the village. Set returned books in box for sorting." In front of his desk is a wooden box.  
  
Also on his desk is a jar of something labelled "For Murdoch."  
  
As you recall all it takes to register someone on the Guild Card is for them to touch the card. Maybe you could touch him with the card to register him yourself?  
  
>Wake Victor up  
>Try to recruit Victor in his sleep  
>Ask Gwen what to do  
>Leave and return later

* * *

  * Let's wake him up. He should at least be awake to join and he can give us the mystery jar. 
  * Wake him up with Gwen, have her threatening him like a jilted lover but don't tell her why. 
  * Technically, we never removed the leash we used yesterday... I went back and checked, and there was no mention of it. Have we been wearing it all morning without even realizing? That might explain Gwen's question of if we "had fun" yesterday. The only thing that might've even implicitly pointed to it after the sex scene itself was when Victor said he was "taking us" to the hot spring. If it's the case, then maybe it'd be about time for Gwen to "let us know". 
    * I think it's sort of implied it came off during cleanup. There's no way he bathed and went all the way home and back to Victor's with a leash dragging behind him and didn't notice. 



* * *

A plan for a little prank starts brewing in your mind. You scooch over to Gwen as quietly as you can.

"Hey. When we wake him up, y-you should um... you should do it."

The plan seems to confuse your partner, who looks at you oddly.

"Why?"

Grasping at straws, you try to come up with a way to explain it without spoiling the joke.

"Do it like a- a jilted lover. It'll be funny."

One ear flicks down to the side. Gwen walks underneath Victor and looks up at him. She takes a deep breath in and howls, causing Victor's eyes to shoot awake. He flutters his wings and looks around in a fit of confusion, then sees you and Gwen there. Immediately smiling, Victor lets go of his perch and flips around, slowing his fall with a flap.

"Murdoch! Gwen! What time is it? Have I overslept?"

"I love you."

As plainly and matter-of-factly as possible, Gwen states it to Victor. Victor practically freezes in place and looks deeply uncertain of what to do. Gwen looks back at you expectantly. She might not have understood the joke. 

* * *

  * Gwen and Murdoch are total opposites in every way except for their social skills apparently. Gesture positively to Gwen like she did it exactly right then pretend like nothing happened. Tell Victor we stopped by to get him officially registered before Gwen and Murdoch head out on their mission and show him the guild card. 
  * There is no way to steer this joke back around. Just keep saying words while he's still groggy and confused. Name of the game is information overload.  
So, what is in that jar? 



* * *

You make a thumbs up gesture with your claws, not thinking that it may not even be a normal gesture here. Whether the message gets across or not you go over to them and scratch Gwen behind the ear. She doesn't mind the gesture.  
  
"Hey there Victor. W- I wanted to get you registered before we go on our first mission."  
  
The stunned look fades and he collects himself. He still glances at Gwen, but answers.  
  
"Ah, yes. You've brought the guild card?"  
  
Gwen pulls open the flap on her item bag and fishes it out with her mouth. She walks over and presents the card to Victor. He takes it and looks down at it. With one digit he touches one of the empty guild member spots.  
  
"You weren't joking. It really does list everything right there."  
  
Victor's squeaky laugh sounds a little nervous as he hands you the newly updated guild card. His name and face are in one of your slots, giving you five free spots left for members.

  
  
You reach out and touch the new image, trying to figure out by what seeming magic this card changes itself. To your surprise Victor's image expands into a more detailed profile.  
  
"So it seems we are officially teammates now. That whole thing before, that was some sort of joke right?"  
  
Victor presses his clawtips together, watching Gwen's face fruitlessly for any expression betraying her intentions.  
  
"Hrmph. Murdoch tell. His joke."  
  
Gwen sells you out and Victor shoots you a sly look.  
  
"I never took you for such a trickster. Maybe Hoopa did choose you for a reason."  
  
"So that jar is mine h-huh?"  
  
You quickly steer the conversation away from the topic of your bad attempt at a joke. Victor hops and flaps his wings, passing over your heads to land by his desk. He picks up the jar and offers it to you.  
  
"A little of my personal recipe. It's the same kind I..."  
  
He looks at Gwen out of the corner of his eye.

* * *

  * Thank him and put it in the bag for now. If Gwen doesn't seem interested in what it is that's fine, but if she asks what it is we'll tell her bluntly. I don't think she'll actually care. Let's ask Victor about the telepathy. If we can reach out to him somehow from out in the field and if he'll be able to communicate at all with Gwen since she's a dark type. 



* * *

You tuck the jar away in Gwen's bag. She gives it a sniff and Victor tenses up a little, but she must just think it's food because she doesn't comment.  
  
"You said last night you can use t-telepathy? Will that work with Gwen?"  
  
Victor looks at Gwen uncertainly.  
  
"It only really works with those I'm close with. I don't meant 'acquainted,' necessarily. That's only a bit of a shortcut."  
  
The innuendo in his voice seems to go right over Gwen's head. Or else she just has a strong poker face.  
  
"Can you do Murdoch?"  
  
Her wording makes Victor cover his mouth and try not to giggle. He looks out from over his wing and focuses on you.  
  
~Can you hear me?~  
  
His voice resonates inside your head as though it were coming from all around you. There is only a little static. It reminds you of listening to someone through poor quality headphones.  
  
>Intelligence: Advantage (12. 7/10)  
You guess that to reply you just have to focus on him and "think" back at him.  
  
~Yes?~  
  
Victor nods physically and answers Gwen's question.  
  
"I can indeed do Murdoch. Dark types are more difficult to connect with. We may have to get to know each other better sometime, Gwen. Perhaps discuss a book you enjoy?"  
  
Gwen grunts in the back of her throat and shakes her head.  
  
"Can't read good."  
  
"I would be happy to teach you."  
  
Victor's offer gives her pause and she thinks it over quietly. Her tail slowly brushes back and forth across the cave floor and she smiles, baring her wickedly sharp teeth.  
  
"Would like. Thank friend Victor."

Victor performs a formal bow, his ears drooping down to touch the ground.  
  
"Nothing would delight me more than servicing my guildmates."  
  
He seems to be having fun and getting bolder with the innuendos, seeing how much he can throw them over Gwen's head.  
  
Gwen looks into her bag and pulls out the wanted posters. She gives them to Victor.  
  
"I read little. Thief, Gastly, Morgrem. You read better? We hunt Gastly first."  
  
Accepting the slips of paper, Victor eyes them over. His eyes rest on the Morgrem's wanted poster longer than the Gastly's, but he folds it behind the other.  
  
"It says your target likes to possess others. Lucky for you Gwen, possession is as difficult to do to Dark types as telepathy is. I might even be able to help Murdoch if we keep ourselves connected."  
  
Something crosses your mind and you question him more on his ability.  
  
"How do I c-connect if I want to talk to you?"  
  
"Simply picture me in your mind and focus. Our connection will strengthen the more we use it, like a muscle or rote memorization."  
  
Victor slips the two posters back into Gwen's item bag for her. They're already developing saliva stains and tooth marks where she picks them up in her mouth.  
  
"Assuming that they sent you wanted posters for criminals in the area. A ghost aiming to possess others would want to go where there are people, but would not risk coming into the village. Our protections from Ho-oh's shrine would make him reconsider."  
  
Victor moves into the library shelves and pulls out a book of maps, handing it to you.  
  
"As it so happens, Empties are particularly vulnerable to possession. I would check for your mischievous ghost in a Dungeon."  
  
He turns the book to the pages on the dungeons around Stepstone Village.  
  
"Any of these would be a good place to start your search."  
  
>Select one destination:  
>Twisting Canyon  
>Volcanic Cave  
>Glass Labyrinth

* * *

  * None of those names seem especially appealing to a ghost, but Glass Labyrinth sounds the most interesting. Let's check it out first. 
  * Glass Labyrinth. Also Victor is a cheeky little fuck. We should get him alone sometime and spend some quality time making out with his balls, and not stop till he cums from it. 
  * Would be good to have some code phrase or safe word before Murdoch gets himself possessed. 
    * make it bookmark, make it bookmark 



* * *

Blushing at Victor's increasingly brazen innuendos and hoping Gwen doesn't catch on. Maybe that wouldn't be so bad? She was very understanding so far.  
  
"I don't know if any of those would be ap- appealing to ghosts. The glass labyrinth sounds interesting."  
  
Gwen gets this rumbling in her throat that you mistake for a growl at first. It turns out she was just thinking.  
  
"You, maybe possessed. How I know?"  
  
You were just thinking the same thing actually.  
  
"W-we could establish a password. How about... bookmark?"  
  
Victor's satellite ears swivel subtly in your direction. Subtle if it wasn't for those ears being as big as your whole body. He gives you some advice about your plan.  
  
"A password will need a reply, or she will not know if it truly is you."  
  
That's right. Does she say bookmark to you, and what do you say? Or does she ask you something and you answer bookmark?

* * *

  * She can just ask if he's possessed and if he responds without using the word then she'll know. She'll probably know immediately if his stutter changes anyway. 
  * Having an initiating phrase would make the password even more obvious. How about as a response to make someone stop doing something. So, say we're eating a berry and you use bookmark in a sentence we have to stop eating. Using it in a sentence is important so the ghost doesn't catch on that there is a password or what the password is. It's also important then you don't stop doing something unless the password is used because we may have to tie one of us up to stop the possessed from hurting anyone so you can't be swayed by all the crying and begging may make us do.

Let's practice. Gwen, pick on Victor and ignore every time he says stop until he says stop the right way. Try pinning him to the ground and licking his face or whatever else comes to mind. 




* * *

"W-well. A question could give away the password. What if you sneak the password into a sentence a-and if I don't stop what I'm doing that means I'm possessed."  
  
Gwen's nose twitches a little. She purses her mouth up in the way she does when she's thinking about something.  
  
"Bookmark, in sentence?"  
  
Her way of saying it is awkward and not at all natural. It might be obvious if she tries to use it in any complicated way. You puzzle it over and think you have a better idea, but a fun idea comes to you.  
  
"L-let's practice, I'll give you an example. Gwen, try pinning Victor down and licking his face or whatever comes to mind, until he says it the right way."  
  
"What?"  
  
Victor looks at you in surprise and is caught off guard when Gwen pulls him to the ground and stands on top of him. She leans down and begins licking at his face, causing him to squirm.  
  
"Ah, please don't! You're getting slobber all over me!"  
  
>Gwen Fitness: Advantage (18, 13)  
>Victor Fitness: Disadvantage (8, 6)  
Try as he might, Victor is powerless under Gwen. Beneath her thick fur her muscles ripple and she holds him against the ground, her legs solid as vice grips. You can tell she's not pressing down very hard at least.  
  
"Remember Victor, the p-password."  
  
Victor opens his mouth to speak and splutters at getting some slobber in his mouth.  
  
"Bookmarks go in... books?"  
  
He manages to get out between licks, his usual eloquent language dissolving under pressure. Gwen looks up at you and you shake your head. Not good enough. She leans in and bites his ear, causing him to squeak. There's no blood, so she's only holding it in her mouth.

"I think we may need a better system!"  
  
Victor calls out. You notice between his legs under Gwen a little bit of pink is poking out of his sheath.  
  
He's right though, Gwen will have trouble coming up with something believable to say under pressure. You let him squirm a little more, knowing he's secretly enjoying it, before you make a different suggestion.  
  
"A-alright Gwen, we can let him up now."  
  
Releasing Victor's ear, Gwen backs off. Her eyes flick down and she notices the arousal between his legs. Grunting in amusement she takes a few steps back and sits down.  
  
Victor pulls himself to his feet and quickly grabs a cloth to wipe his face off, then holds it over his crotch.  
  
"Was that really necessary?"  
  
"We bonding."  
  
Gwen gruffly laughs. Victor's ears are deeply blushing.  
  
"M-maybe it would be simpler to just ask if I'm possessed if you're suspicious. If I say bookmark it means I'm m-me."  
  
The ghost might not know you stutter either. That should be a dead giveaway for her to be suspicious. Gwen nods along with the idea.  
  
"Easier. Will do."  
  
Shuffling behind his desk to better conceal his half chub without dangling a cloth in front of it, Victor self consciously looks at the cave entrance. But nobody is there.  
  
"Well now that... that is settled. The glass labyrinth is a series of black obsidian tunnels much like volcanic tubes. That section has no active magma underground unlike the volcanic caves. You can expect to run into Rock, Ground and Fire types. Possibly even Steel."  
  
Eerie black glass tunnels. That does sound like somewhere a ghost would hang out. Gwen walks over to the cave entrance and looks back at you expectantly. You try to think if there's anything else you need before you go. Gwen has credit with Amor's trading post if you need to get anything.  
  
>Set out to the Glass Labyrinth?  
>Stop at the trading post?  
>Anything to talk about with Gwen while traveling?

* * *

  * Those typings don't favor us. We should stop at the trading post and get a Rawst, a Pecha, and maybe another Oran. 
  * Before we go, how do we capture a ghost? Do we just knock him unconscious or what?  
Gwen's been doing this bounty hunting thing awhile solo. Maybe there are some things she can teach us or some tales she wants to brag about. If the code gets compromised, the more we know of her past would be useful. Also she is just interesting and we want to get to know her better. 
  * >Grunting in amusement  
Gwen is growing on me more and more each post  
While the types are against us, Gwen is tough as Hell and we have status effects to work with. Let's just jump right into it.   
Let Gwen know you appreciate her definition of 'bonding' and would be eager to participate at any time. Keeps morale up.
  * Did we read the dungeoneering books Victor gave us yet? 



* * *

It does sound like the types aren't in your favor. Getting a couple of berries in case Gwen gets hurt feels like a good idea. After giving Victor a cheerful wave, you scamper out after Gwen.  
  
"Let's stop by the trading post b-before we go."  
  
With Gwen's silent agreement, the two of you turn and climb higher up the cliffside path. Up ahead is the familiar banner, and as you go inside Amor brightens up behind the counter.  
  
"Gwen! I missed you yesterday girl, how was the first night with the new roomie~"  
  
Tail swaying back and forth, Gwen treads up to the counter and hops up with her front paws onto the counter to be at eye level with Amor. Slinking in low to the floor, you appreciate the view of her hindpaws as she stands on her tippy toes.  
  
"Slept well. Murdoch go see Victor. Gone most night."  
  
Amor peers at you over Gwen's shoulder with a twinkle in her eye and lifts a hoof to her cheek to giggle.  
  
"Spending all night with Victor were you? You'd better not neglect my best customer~ That's you, Gwen."  
  
You join Gwen at the counter and get up on your hindlegs.  
  
"N-n-never dream of it. If you ever, um, want to bond Gwen, I- that is, I'd very much like to participate."  
  
"So forward~"  
  
Before the sheep can steer the conversation in a direction that will distract you from what you came here for you smooth down your kilt and get to business.  
  
"S-so Amor, we were hoping to grab some b-berries. Mm. A Rawst, a Pecha, maybe an Oran? If that's okay with Gwen, s-she has all the credits."  
  
You look aside at Gwen, who nods in confirmation.   
  
"And wood flask."

Amor slips back into the back room picking up a woven basket from under the counter. She returns moments later with the basket carrying one of each of the requested berries, and a long, bottle-shaped wooden flask. The basket is set down in front of Gwen.  
  
"There you go, doll."  
  
Taking each of the berries and dropping it in the item bag, Gwen nudges the basket back over to Amor.  
  
"Good. Fresh. Thank Amor."  
  
"You two stay safe out there!"  
  
Along with Gwen you exit the trading post. While you walk down the trail you ask a few questions that have been on your mind.  
  
"How do we c-catch a ghost?"  
  
If the answer is a Proton Pack...  
  
Gwen wiggles, making the wooden flask in her item bag clank against the bottle and jar of liquids inside.  
  
"Force in flask. Gastly stuck until let go."  
  
So that's why she asked for it. She seems to be experienced at this sort of thing. On the way to the dungeon you make note to ask her to tell you some stories.  
  
You remember something else important however.  
  
"Gwen, can we stop by your home?"  
  
At your request the two of you get back down and go to the circles of huts that makes up the village's residential area. The books are piled in the corner of the hut where you left them. Victor asked not to take them out of the village, but you don't think Gwen will want to waste the day.  
  
>Take dungeoneering book?  
>Leave it?  
>Skim it quickly before you go? (Intelligence Test)

* * *

  * Skim it. Murdoch's a smart guy, he knows what to look for. No need to upset Victor. 
  * Skim it since we have advantage. 
  * Give the book a skim. Ask Gwen for just fifteen minutes, no more than that, there is work to do. 



* * *

Not wanting to keep Gwen waiting you flip through the pages of the book scanning for key words and phrases that seem important.  
  
>Intelligence: Advantage (19, 8/10)  
With a swift skim you learn important things about dungeons. You skip over the parts about Empties not being conscious people because Victor already told you.  
  
Each time there are no Pokemon inside the dungeon it changes its layout and shape. Once someone goes inside the way out disappears behind them. Other Pokemon who enter appear somewhere else in the dungeon.  
  
The dungeons detect when someone is inside for too long and a powerful wind starts to blow through the halls. Eventually they will be thrown out of the dungeon. Someone defeated by Empties will not be ejected and will need to be rescued instead.  
  
To rescue a Pokemon a guild member uses their guild card to send them to the safety of the nearest town, and they can go out with the rescued Pokemon if they choose to.  
  
For those who are not part of a guild the only way out is to get to the bottom of the dungeon, which opens a straight path back out.  
  
Gwen is pacing outside and you detect her eagerness to get moving. Armed with a little more knowledge you return the book to the pile and exit the hut.  
  
"S-sorry to keep you waiting."  
  
"Is fine. We go now."  
  
Your partner takes the lead. The path she leads you to you recognize as the one you took before when you first got to the village. Together the two of you climb out from the footprint-shaped canyon.  
  
Curious to know more about Gwen you try to start some conversation while you walk.  
  
"Um, Gwen? You've been doing this solo for a w-while. Do you have any stories?"  
  
Above the canyons the two of you tread over the red-soiled plateaus. Along the edge of each canyon you get to see a beautiful natural view of springs, fountains and pools below. Like tiny microcosm gardens of Eden.  
  
Gwen keeps her eyes forward and her ears flick around, alert. But she does respond to your question.

"Yes. Criminal often flee. Hide in dungeon or wild. I am at home in dungeon."  
  
"D-do you usually handle dangerous criminals?"  
  
Gwen shakes her head from side to side.  
  
"Am tough. But alone, bad idea. Never go to danger alone. Amor give me petty criminal. Thief, troublemaker. Can fight or scare them."  
  
The two of you arrive at another path down. This one is narrow and precarious and you have to stop talking. Your low stance and gripping claws are helpful. Gwen walks carefully and methodically.  
  
>Murdoch Fitness: (13/10)  
>Gwen Fitness: Advantage (16, 10/10)  
Reaching flat ground at last you and Gwen step onto the rocks and grass at the bottom of the cliffside. Your heart is beating rapidly and you feel a little bit of a thrill that you made it down without any problems. You used to go to a rock wall at the gym before you shut out the world. That was with a safety harness, so not exactly the same thing.  
  
"Not bad. Walk all way here, no complaint."  
  
Gwen brushes up against you. Her voice sounds impressed.  
  
"Not soft boy. Is good."  
  
Gwen looks away at the canyon wall and you follow her eyes. A round tunnel opens up in the wall, the sides of the tunnel made out of slick black glass that reflects the light of the sun in a brilliant gleam. Deep inside you can see spikes coming out of the walls with tips that glow with purple light.

* * *

  * Always glad to impress Gwen. I guess head into the dungeon. 
  * Alright. Fake it till you make it. Walk in first like a brave mother fucker and continue to impress Gwen. These places are supposed to be mazes and I honestly don't remember if it's us or Gwen that is directionally challenged, but I suspect an intelligence check is in our future. 



* * *

Feeling elated at earning some of your partner's trust you boldly lead the way in. Gwen falls into step beside you, picking up the pace to avoid being behind. It appears she naturally dislikes following.  
  
The passage narrows out ahead though and she reluctantly relents and falls into step behind you.  
  
"Okay. You lead. Need learn."  
  
The tunnel has an eerie glow. The black glass walls and floor seem to absorb the light given off by their own purple spikes and you swear you feel the ground hum under your feet. When you look at the wall you can see a vague silhouette reflection of yourself scattered between jagged edges and crooked angles. The more you walk into this place the more you can see it being a ghost's favorite playground.  
  
Up ahead is a break, going off in different directions. You look back just to make sure Gwen is still there, and she looks back at you silently, waiting for you to make a decision.  
  
Not wanting to let her down you continue leading the way.  
  
>Intelligence: Advantage (13, 16/12)  
Your sense of direction is not very good. But you do have a good memory. You pick out that you went in a circle soon enough to stop yourself from doing it again. It confused you when the tunnel the two of you came in from was gone from the intersection of paths, but you remember what you read. The only way out is to keep going.  
  
The path opens up into a wider room. Wisps of purple light drift through the air like embers cast up from a fireplace, and frightening stalactites of sharp black glass hang from the ceiling like waiting fangs.   
  
There are two canine forms lying in the room and three other tunnels that branch off. They are different from Gwen, an earthy brown color, and there is a collar of stones around their necks. Two Rockruff, sleeping.

* * *

  * Look at Gwen and see what she wants to do. Rock resists everything Murdoch has and he can't hit worth a damn anyways, so she should definitely lead the attack. We can attack whichever one she chooses together and hopefully knock it out quickly. I guess we should start with ember so he doesn't have to get up close and risk a super effective hit. 



* * *

"D-do you, that is, should I give support and you go in?"  
  
You whisper as you look back at Gwen for direction. She walks forward, nearing the Rockruff and placing herself between the two of you without blocking your line of sight. As she takes a ready stance to lunge, you gather yourself and prepare to spit an ember at the sleeping canine.  
  
"Take one at time."  
  
>Murdoch Power: Disadvantage, Sleeping Target (3, 13/5)  
Even with a sleeping stationary target the little puff of flame you produce goes wide and flickers out against the glass floor. Your grasp of how to aim your own face is not the best when you instinctively want to look away from the attack.  
  
>Gwen Fitness: Advantage, Skill, Sleeping Target (17, 14/3)  
Since the missed attack did not wake up the Empty, Gwen lunges in. She sinks her teeth into it and worries it around with her Bite as it wakes up and snarls at her.  
  
>Rockruff Fitness: (8/10)  
The enemy clumsily tries to tackle Gwen into the wall to shake her off, but is unable to overpower her. The second Rockruff is starting to wake up from the cacophony of canine snarls. This time you get a better view when its eyes open up and lock onto you. They are completely white.

* * *

  * Screw it, just go in for a scratch while Gwen has it. We won't be any help whiffing embers repeatedly. 
  * We need more reliable attacks. The power stat and associated moves can suck it.  
Use scratch. 
  * Fuck it, what the other Anons said. Just get in there and do something. 
  * Attempt a scratch.  
If Victor can send off a hypersonic have him do that as well.  
We need to get a hand on this fast rockruff is tough on low level pokes with type disadvantage. 
    * Victor is back in town. He's taking sort of a communication/support role. 
  * What if we tried Sweet Scent to distract them? 
    * They are hollows they wont care. 
    * If anything that might affect Gwen as well. Our best bet is to poison one. 



* * *

Frustrated at your attacks not working, you give up on the ranged approach and get right in there with Gwen.  
  
>Murdoch Fitness: (12/10)  
You never learned any kind of fighting but that primal ape part of your mind knows what to do. You grab and scratch and kick like a wild animal. The tough hide of the Rockruff holds fast and your scratches prove too weak to penetrate.  
>Not Very Effective: Minimal Effect  
  
>Gwen Fitness: Advantage, Skill (14, 5/8)  
Gwen's sharp toothed grip holds the Rockruff steady and she throws it against the wall. The Pokemon's body flickers and goes out with an afterspark of light, like an old TV screen.  
  
>Rockruff Fitness: (12/10)  
As you get back to your feet the other Rockruff barrels into you from the side and sends you rolling along the ground.  
>Murdoch has a minor injury  
  
The one reliable attack you have is proving unable to surmount the type disadvantage. As you get back on your frontside, Gwen hops between you and the second Rockruff, squaring off with it.

* * *

  * Good idea back off and try to read the room see if anything can give us an advantage.  
Consider it a we tried to do the pokemon thing out of force of habit of us being a fan in the other world. 
  * I'm not really sure this will work, but try the 'look behind you' trick?? Eh, that's all I can think of right now... 
  * The moves aren't actually bad. The issue is that none of them can land. 

Let Gwen make the first attack here, then close in and attempt to pin/restrain it for her, preferably out of reach of its teeth. 




* * *

Taking the traditional approach hasn't been working for you. Not wanting to lose any points you've gained with Gwen you peer around the room in search of any advantage you can leverage.  
  
There are glass spikes on some of the walls and hanging from the ceiling. If you could break one off it might give you a leg up as a weapon.  
  
That will take time you don't have. Gwen and the Rockruff are already preparing to lunge at each other. All you can think of on short notice is the oldest trick in the book.  
  
>Murdoch Charm: (14/10)  
"Q-quick Victor! Get him from behind!"  
  
You point at the back of the room. The Rockruff in spite of its lack of a real mind understands your command and spins around to defend against a flanking attack that doesn't come.  
  
>Gwen Fitness: Advantage, Skill, Distraction (12, 10/7)  
Before the Rockruff can turn back around Gwen lands on his back and grabs him by the neck.  
  
>Rockruff Fitness: Distracted (8/11)  
He thrashes and throws himself back, bucking like a rodeo bull, but Gwen has him at too advantageous an angle.  
  
This is your chance!  
  
>Murdoch Fitness: Distraction (6/9)  
You scurry up to its side and try to grab it by the legs to keep it from bucking around, but it kicks you in the nose and you get knocked away.  
  
>Gwen Fitness: Advantage, Skill (11, 5/8)  
Your partner though, she has things under control. With a crack of bone she jerks the enemy aside and it flickers out of existence like the other did.  
  
Gwen lands on her paws and shakes herself. She walks over and looks at your sides where you got scraped up a little by the glass floor.  
  
"You fall down. Okay?"

* * *

  * Uh, check for damage, maybe see if we can take one of the icicles for later. also, maybe check inventory. 
  * Tell her he's fine and praise her fighting ability. Try to break off one of those glass spikes and ask her for help if needed. Then check out those tunnels. If nothing in particular stands out about them just start with the left most one. 



* * *

Your side is sore. But it doesn't look like you were scratched up too badly. If you get really hurt Gwen has three Oran Berries in the item bag. You two also have a Pecha, a Rawst, an Elixir, and a jar of Victor's homemade flavored lube. It's made using Leppa Berry juice.  
  
"I-it's okay. I can keep going."  
  
Grunting in what you think is approval, Gwen looks around at the other passages out of the cave room.  
  
You decide to try out the idea you had before. Grasping one of the spikes coming out of the walls you give it a test with your weight and it holds solid. The sharp, glowing tip is warm to the touch.  
  
"Gwen, c-can you help me break this off?"  
  
She turns away from the tunnel passages and flicks her ear to the side, cocking her head at you. Plodding over she takes up a position on the other side of the glass spike.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Well see, humans make up for being w-weak by using weapons. This will be a lot sharper than my little c-claws."  
  
Gwen thinks over your explanation and nods. She climbs up with her forepaws on top of the spike and you take a hold of it closer to the end where it's thinner. This is probably really dangerous. Glass can be unpredictable when it breaks.  
  
>Gwen Fitness: Advantage (12, 6/15)  
>Murdoch Fitness: (7)  
>Lucky Advantage: (17/15)  
With Gwen bouncing hap-hazardously on top of it you yank the tip down. Almost by a miracle it snaps off at the end with an almost smooth round break at the base. You have a naturally formed obsidian spike to use as a dagger.  
  
Turning the new weapon over in your claws you look up at Gwen and smile slyly, an expression that creeps naturally into your lizardly face.  
  
"Ready to go, Gwen."  
  
All of the tunnels look the same, either going off into the dark or curving out of sight. You decide to take the tactic of sticking to the left until you find something or go in a circle.

>Murdoch Intelligence: Advantage, Incompetence (20, 15/12)  
You often got lost when you go out camping or even at the mall. But what is exploring if not getting lost on purpose? With that in mind you stop caring about where you're going and pay more attention to where you've been.  
  
The turns and twists have you all spun around and you don't know which way is north or south anymore. But you know you haven't turned back around on yourself. Then you stop and you hear footsteps ahead. Hard, clinking footsteps of claws.  
  
From the darkness ahead comes a short green Pokemon with a tall spike upon its head and a hard external plating. The Larvitar's eyes are glazed over and white just like the Rockruff's before. When it sees you, aimless wandering turns into purposeful strides in your direction.  
  
Gwen is right behind you, but the cramped space of the volcanic glass tunnel makes it impossible for her to slip up beside you.

* * *

  * Make a running jump and vault over it. Try to catch the tall spike/horn thing on its head and pull it down during the jump if possible. Even if he fails the jump it's still basically a flailing tackle. 
  * don't larvitar have holes in their stomachs? Try forcing the spike in through one of those. 
  * Let Gwen step on him to get her in the fight and then fire stuff from a distance. 



* * *

>Rolling: Odd Gwen goes first, Even Murdoch goes first (15)  
You think quickly and flatten yourself to the ground down low, looking back and flicking your tail to urge Gwen forward.  
  
"I-I'll boost you!"  
  
>Murdoch Fitness: (4)  
Gwen steps onto your back and you feel the sudden weight of all her muscle atop you. You mean to push up and give her a springboard over the Larvitar, but you can't manage it. Gwen runs right over instead and goes in from the front.  
  
>Gwen Fitness: Advantage, Skill (18,13/8)  
Grabbing the Rock Type's head spike in her teeth and jerks it down hard, slamming the Larvitar facefirst into the ground. She lets go at that moment and lets the rebound throw it onto its back.  
>Larvitar Flinched!  
  
The tough hide of Rock Types isn't easy to penetrate. You wonder if the black spots on the Larvitar's torso could be weak points in its armor.  
  
>Murdoch Fitness: Incompetence (16/12)  
Gwen is in the front now, so you come up behind her.  
  
"Going over!"  
  
Gwen lowers her hindlegs and you scramble up her back, hopping over like a ramp. You clumsily flail your way through the air but are able to stick the landing, right on top of the Larvitar!  
  
>Intelligence: Advantage (5, 15/10)  
You grab hold of one of the black markings, testing it with your claw quickly before you prepare to drive the glass spike in. It doesn't feel as tough as the rest of it, just like you thought, and you swing down with the spike in your other claw. It sticks in.  
>Lucky: The spike does not break  
  
The Larvitar flickers and winks out. You fall a few inches and land back on the cave floor with a surprised yelp. You can hear Gwen laughing deeply behind you.  
  
"You crazy. We need work you out more."  
  
You look back and see Gwen looking at you. She steps over you and you close your eyes as her wet tongue drags across your face in one big slurp.  
  
"We can bond. After next training. You like?"

* * *

  * Yeah, of course. And he has to be a little crazy if he wants any chance of keeping up with her. 
  * Squeak out a very eager affirmation while in shock your plan worked. 



* * *

"O-of course. I need to be a little crazy if I want to keep up with... you."  
  
Gwen walks past, her tail brushing up against your back. Your eyes spot a bit of a wet spot between her legs as her tail sways ahead of you. With her in the lead now you clamor behind.  
  
The hallway in front of you breaks and a massive cavern opens up. Gwen steps out into the open and looks into the dark. She probably has better dark vision than you since she's a Dark type. But even you can make out the gleam of three sets of white eyes further in, and a tunnel leading down into the floor.  
  
>Intelligence: Advantage (15, 10/10)  
Her feet spread and prepared to pounce, Gwen gets ready for a fight. Then you feel a sudden chill up your spine. You react more quickly than you thought you could and leap into the room, spinning in the air and hissing like a startled cat. Behind you in the opening of the hallway is a Gastly with very much not empty eyes, giving you a smug smirk.  
  
"Don't worry, skink. I'm not going to hurt you."  
  
Gwen's ears perk up and she twists around to face the ghost. From deeper in the room are a pair of Larvitar and a Rockruff closing in behind her now.  
  
"Doesn't look like you have time to worry about me."  
  
The ghost drifts closer to you and Gwen snarls, forcing him to keep his distance.  
  
"You have trouble using your Moves don't you? Let me in and I can help."

* * *

  * What, he's going to help ember the rock and ground type for us? No thanks. Gwen will absolutely body this guy and if we're in a tight spot we can escape with the card afterwards. Tell her to take care of the ghost, grab an Oran from the bag and hold it in his mouth for now, and take a position between her and the empties. Throw some Sweet Scent their way and take a defensive position with the spike. 
  * I can use moves just fine.  
Scratch will do even less against him, but because of Murdoch's ability poison might. Either we hit and he retreats to slowly faint while we handle the room of enemies or we fail and he hovers around gloating until Gwen can wreck his face. 
  * Maybe acting reluctantly interested could cause him to lower his guard? If he were to approach carelessly, we might be able to give him a faceful of fire and/or poison for his trouble. Of course we don't trust him in the slightest, but if he thinks we might, we could exploit that for an advantage. 



* * *

>Murdoch Charm: (18)  
>Gastly Intelligence: (6)  
"Y-you're right."  
  
Forcing yourself to be calm, you lower your head in acceptance and take a few cautious steps towards him. Gwen looks at you in surprise.  
  
"That's right. We can be good friends."  
  
>Murdoch Power: Disadvantage (18, 11/10)  
When he drops his guard and moves in you hold your breath and breathe hard out your nose. Toxic fumes erupt in the Gastly's face. He doesn't bother to hold his own breath and confidently advances through them. Then he starts to cough and gag.  
  
"How?"  
  
"G-g- wreck his face, girl!"  
  
>Gwen Fitness: Advantage, Skill (14, 5/8)  
Before the Gastly can recover Gwen is on him and gnashes through his smoky body with her fangs. He shudders and yelps as if a shock had just run through him.  
>Gastly is moderately injured  
  
>Gastly Fitness: Disadvantage (17, 19/10)  
In a desperate response he lashes Gwen with his long tongue. She shudders but it doesn't have the desired effect.  
>Not Very Effective: Minimal Effect  
  
The Empties are closing in. Gwen is still on the Gastly and her back is exposed. You hurry to her and slip a claw into the Item Bag.  
  
>Murdoch Fitness: (7/10)  
>Blind Luck Advantage: (12/10)  
Your claw wraps around something just before she jerks away in her fight with the ghost. You look at what you snagged and it was just what you were after, an Oran!  
  
"I'll k-keep them busy."  
  
Mustering up all the confidence you can you hold the Oran in your mouth and stand off against the three approaching Rock types.

>Gwen Will: Skill (11/8)  
The canine fighter lets loose a chilling howl, tensing up in anticipation of taking down her opponent.  
  
>Gastly Charm: Advantage, Skill (13, 9)  
>Gwen Will: (11)  
Eyes glowing soft pink, the ghost stares right into Gwen's eyes. She meets his gaze defiantly, but then her jaw goes slack. She stares into his eyes unable to move.  
>Gwen is inflicted with Sleep  
  
>Rockruff Fitness: (11/10)  
>Larvitar Fitness: (15/10)  
Before you can go to help her you get slammed into by a Rockruff. You tuck in and roll, but then a hard glass chunk slams into your arms folded across your chest and you gasp in pain, nearly dropping your Oran.  
>Murdoch is moderately injured  
>Murdoch is critically injured  
  
>Larvitar Fitness: (12/10)  
At least you aren't the only one having a bad time. A second chunk of black glass is chucked at the Gastly and passes through him, scattering his gasses painfully. You think.  
>Gastly is majorly injured  
  
Everything is getting blurry and darkness creeps in around the edges of your vision. You taste the tart flavor of the Oran between your jaws.

* * *

  * Well that's bad. Bite down on that berry, then do whatever it takes to wake Gwen up. We need her attacking if any of these guys are going down. I don't think the poison will do it in time. 
  * Chew the Oran and realize your “weakness” is your strength. Willingly let your guard down, let the Rockruff grab you by the neck—then start masturbating.

Use this distraction tactic to then squeeze the beast by the genitals or headbutt them. We aren’t strong. We have to fight dirty if we want to stand a chance. 

    * >let a dog bite your throat  
>masturbate to distract the mindless creature  
>headbutt it  
Bold, suicidal strategy.
    * That's... very extreme... 
    * Sorry, but this sounds like a bad idea. We need to look out for Gwen as well. First we have to recover some strength, then we help Gwen. 
  * Do we know how to wake up pokemon induced sleep? Can we shake her awake, or maybe use a small ember? Whatever works best, let's do that. Then maybe we can try to position ourselves so that if we dodge an attack it will hit the gastly instead. 
  * Eat Oran.  
Fainting in here isn't an option. Once Gastly is captured the guild card will let us escape, probably. Why must everything be in her bag. Fairly certain we don't have a sleep cure but there are plenty of Oran. 
  * Do the Empties attack the nearest target, or just us? If yes, then try luring them to the Gastly or the Gastly to you, maybe by falsely surrendering or something like that.

(If no, then just ignore this comment, I guess.)

When Gastly is near enough, try using Sweet Scent and dump the Leppa Berry juice, since it's an aphrodisiac. That should leave him dazed (possibly aroused, too). Then (if everything I've assumed to be true is true) you can leave him to the Empties while you try to wake Gwen. 




* * *

Still dazed by your fading consciousness, half-baked plans and scenes flash across your eyes. You push with all your might. The mere action of moving your jaws is like a monumental effort. The crunch of the berry between your jaws, the juice flowing down your throat. You nearly choke, forcing yourself to swallow it down. A surge of energy fills your sore limbs and numbs the stinging pain in them.  
>Murdoch is moderately injured  
  
You roll over back onto your stomach. Your ribs hurt. The pain is fading as the Oran does its work. Gwen. You need to find Gwen, snap her out of it. How to wake her up?   
  
>Murdoch Intelligence: Advantage (19, 7/10)  
A good slap might do it. Or shout in her ear. Call her name. You've heard Trainers do that sometimes.  
  
Your vision comes back into focus. The Gastly is struggling to stay aloft. Weak streaks of smoke drift around his wavering central mass as he hangs barely above the ground.  
>Gastly has become critically injured by poison  
  
>Gwen Will: (1/10)  
Gwen is still sitting where she was, staring into the space above the Gastly's form. You start to crawl towards her.   
  
The Empties are still here. The Rockruff is on you, climbing on from behind. The two Larvitar are going after the Gastly. Ignoring Gwen completely for some reason.  
  
>Rockruff Fitness: (19/10)  
Paws pin down your forelegs. The weight of the canine on top of you holds you in place as you struggle to try to get to Gwen.  
>Murdoch is now majorly injured  
>Murdoch is now Grappled  
  
>Larvitar Fitness: (3/10)  
>Larvitar Fitness: (13/10)  
Two chunks of glass. One lands against the floor with a loud crack. The other passes through the Gastly and he flutters down to the ground, lingering on the ground like trapped gas.  
>Gastly has fainted  
  
The two Larvitar turn and look at you, pinned under the Rockruff. They don't even seem to notice Gwen is there.   
  
Pinned down like this, it's bad but you do feel a warmth in your loins.

* * *

  * If we played possum, would they ignore us like they did Gwen? 
  * Shout for Gwen to wake up and put out as much Sweet Scent as possible. Hopefully it will distract the empties and maybe even help wake Gwen. If she wakes, tell her to just bottle the gastly and use the badge. If they continue to attack, maybe we can take advantage of the one pinning him to block attacks. 
    * Seconding the bottle + badge strategy if we can get Gwen to wake up. Great idea. 
  * Pinned, helpless, slightly aroused, with two more pokemon on the way who aren't interested in a passed out chick. I think Gwen is going to wake up to something shameful happening to Murdoch's butt and there isn't any way to stop that. 
    * Can Empties feel things like arousal though? 
    * >no way to stop that  
Kind of want to though. Him getting fucked by a bunch of mindless illusion creatures is remarkably unsexy.
  * Seconding my earlier plan—let one grapple you then start masturbating, then use their confusion to get a sneaky low blow in and get to Gwen.

If it worked for Herr Starr it could work for us. Adapt. 

    * First: We're already grappled and pinned.  
Second: They're not intelligent, so they wouldn't even pause to consider WHY we would do something. "Confusing" them shouldn't work anyway, logically speaking. 
  * If things start to get lewd, resist. We have to save ourselves for Gwen and also not lose her respect for how we've handled ourselves so far. 



* * *

Worried where this might be going after everything so far you hold your tail flat to the ground to keep them from getting easy access to your goods.  
  
"Gwen! Gwen s-snap out of it!"  
  
>Murdoch Charm: (18/10)  
Your shouting her name startles her out of her stupor. Gwen blinks and looks around in confusion. She spots you on the ground with the Larvitar closing in and the Rockruff on top of you. Instinctively she starts to run over, but you stop her.  
  
"The card! G-get the ghost in the bottle!"  
  
Gwen skids to a stop and turns back around, pulling the wooden bottle out of the item bag and sets it on the floor, scooping the Gastly's fumes in with her paw.  
  
>Rockruff Fitness: (18/10)  
Your captor presses down on you. He stops on your head and pushes it into the floor.  
>Murdoch is now critically injured  
  
>Larvitar Fitness: (5/10)  
>Larvitar Fitness: (12/10)  
Even though she is awake now, the other Empties continue to ignore Gwen and come after you. You can see Gwen running over with the bottle in her mouth when one of the Larvitar kicks you and you black out.  
>Murdoch has fainted

...  
...  
...  
  
You are floating in an empty space. Psychedelic shades of yellow and pink float around you.  
  
"Congratulations, Murry. You got the snot kicked out of you but you succeeded your first mission!"  
  
A familiar voice chimes from behind you. You try to turn around, waving your limbs like swimming. You start to drift aimlessly, rolling backwards. There is no pain from your injuries, and you feel fine.  
  
Hoopa is floating behind you in the ephemeral expanse. He leans forwards resting his head on his arms with a shit eating grin.  
  
>Murdoch has gained Experience from completing a mission  
>Murdoch can now learn Smog  
>Murdoch already has four natural moves, and must forget a move to learn Smog  
>Smog (Power): Causes minor injury and Poison to the target.

* * *

  * Ask him in exasperation if it will always be this hard. Be a bit of a whiner, at least express this is scarier than you expected. I want to see how Hoopa responds to honesty. 
  * Is this strictly better than Poison Gas? I guess replace that either way because the upfront damage would be nice. Tell him it honestly went better than expected. I was pretty worried about the type disadvantages going into this one. 



* * *

>Poison Gas was forgotten  
>Smog was learned  
  
You feel frustration and indignation boiling to the surface. With a claw you point at Hoopa accusingly.  
  
"W-what did you expect, huh? This is w-w- this is scary! Is it this hard for everyone or am- am I really just a joke?"  
  
The outburst doesn't put a damper on Hoopa's mood or his grin. He floats easily through the colorful emptiness and puts an arm around your shoulders. He is just the right size to do it now that you are much smaller than before.  
  
"Murry, buddy, pal. You're practically winning! Did you know two of your competitors totally failed their first mission and need to be rescued now?"  
  
Each of his grabby hands takes you by your little shoulder and rubs. He's rough and kneads deep, but it feels nice all the same.  
  
"And after every contestant's first mission their patron gives them a little something-something. A little prize for popping their cherry. Not that you or Vicky got that far."

Still tense and wanting to be angry, the kneading hands of Hoopa squeeze the stress out of your body. If you're even in your body. Reluctantly you let it all out in a deep sigh.  
  
"F-fine. Honestly it went... better than expected. I knew going in t-that the types would be rough. What's this p-p- p- reward?"  
  
"There you go. Just remember, champ in the making. The best jokes are the ones no one sees coming."  
  
Hoopa gives you one last pat on the shoulders and spins you around to face him, face inches from his own. For a second you think he might force you to kiss him again. With a flick of his wrist he pulls a sheet of rolled up paper out of a portal and unfolds it for you.  
  
"Three perks to pick from. Each of them a little taste of my powers."  
  
>Murdoch as completed his first mission and earned a milestone perk. Choose one:  
>Thief King's Fingers: Murdoch gains Advantage when trying to take an item from someone else's person. Murdoch's claws cause erogenous stimulation when touching people.  
>Hoopa's Collar: Murdoch can make one extra golden collar at a time. It gives its wearer Experience when Indulging others' fetishes. Defeated outlaws forced to wear the collar must obey Murdoch's commands.  
>Thinking With Portals: Murdoch can create two linked portals on flat surfaces. Each portal is created separately and only becomes active when the second is made. Any new portal replaces one of the active two.

* * *

  * That's a pretty tough call. The collar seems fun but situational and the portals seem useful but maybe annoying to manage. I'm gonna go with thief king's fingers for the potential they have to start lewd encounters. It will definitely be helpful in starting things with the townsfolk. Taking items could be useful in a few different ways too. 
  * >Thinking With Portals  
>Place them on book back  
>Suck our own dick or give the second book to Amor or Victor for some long distance fun  
>Rig Mystery Dungeons to send hollows into the world to become normal, functioning members of society  
>Create terminal velocity projectiles to shoot for protection rather than depending on Fitness and Power  
>Just drop folks into holes.  
So broken. We'll take it.
  * What if we put on the collar? 
    * Murdoch is already wearing one. 
      * Doesn't mean we can't wear two unless it'd explode our head. 
  * the king's finger advantage on stealing is pretty good  
the hoopa collar would be cool for leveling up Gwen quickly and easier captures for outlaws  
and the portals are just bizarre, is it a meme option? finding flat surfaces anywhere is gonna be a luck check in itself  
gonna go for the hoopa collar since it means a fuck ton of exp for Murdoch and Gwen 
  * Time to think with portals.  
And burn our enemies with lemons or whatever.  
Also I am sure we could think of awesome ways to use this on our twinky bat boi. 
  * Portals are either stupidly broken in combat or totally useless, depending on how strict the definition of "flat surface" is. Rather than chance that, I'll go with sticky fingers. We can use it to pet Gwen because she deserves it and it will help us with following through when Murdoch fails his lewd roll. 
  * I vote Thief King's Fingers. Also, can we ask Hoopa for more information about our other competitors, and when we get our next perk? 

Also, when we get our next perk, we should get Thinking With Portals. Or something better if it appears. 

    * I'm sure we'll run into them eventually. It would be kind of fun to corrupt other guilds with our degeneracy, although I guess we're not really that bad yet. 
  * Thief King’s fingers. Gwen’s love for heavy petting will be a match in Heaven for her, and with how much she’s tanking for us, the least we can do is put in every last effort to make her non-combat life Heaven.

For added fun, let Hoopa know that’s why you want it specifically. I wonder if he’s enjoying the kinky little adventures so far. Were Murdoch a bit more bold I’d offer to suck his cock if he’d permit it. 

  * First option for sure. As useful as portals would be, it just feels a bit too crazy as a reward this early.  
Not sure how much gear pokemon actually carry on average, but we seem to be building an arsenal of underhanded tactics so it fits. Definitely for Gwen's sake too, since that will come in handy really soon.



* * *

You silently deliberate your options. All three sound promising for different reasons. But your thoughts turn to Gwen. She loves to be touched and stroked. More than that, you worry about your performance. With magic fingers you wouldn't need to perform well with your dick. Your dick might as well be unnecessary.  
  
"T-t-"  
  
You nervously clear your throat. You can feel your heart thumping in your chest.  
  
"The f-fingers please."  
  
Hoopa's pearly teeth practically split his face in two. He reaches out and caresses your long chin, sending quivering waves of pleasant vibes through your body. They culminate in your loins in a warm pressure.  
  
"The power to enslave bad guys to your will. The power to fold space and walk across the world in a single step. And you want magic fingers?"  
  
His mitten-like hands explore further, running up and down your neck. Your legs would give out if you weren't already floating. You aren't even sure which way is up.  
  
"Y-yes. Gwen l-likes to be pet, so, well. It's f-for her."  
  
Manic grinning shrinks down to a small, soft smile.  
  
"Thinking of your partner first, huh Murry? You really are full of surprises."  
  
Hoopa leans in and presses his mouth against the tip of your snout. Almost automatically you open up and he licks at the inside, nibbling on your lower jaw.  
  
You want so much to ask for more. To submit fully to this legendary creature. But your tongue is too busy wrestling with his and your body is frozen, wracked with shudders of pleasure.  
  
Then he breaks off and floats away. You feel a sudden emptiness. A void where his touch used to be. The warmth in your loins screams in dissatisfaction.

"W-why?"  
  
Your patron twirls around behind you and gives you one last slap on the rump. It's like lightning through your body and your legs twitch helplessly.  
  
"Wouldn't want you to spray all over Gwen's face again would we? You're already going to have some morning wood for her to stare at."  
  
Hoopa spins around and floats back in front of you.  
  
"You can turn your magic fingers on or off whenever you want by the way. Just need to want to. Easy instructions, right?"

"W-wait."  
  
You feel yourself begin to drift away from Hoopa. Noises and jumbled words coming in fragments. Consciousness beckons.  
  
"Rivals. M-my rivals, who are they? And when is the n-n- th-"  
  
You stutter and reach out. Hoopa waves as he slides away into the distance.  
  
"It'll be more fun to let you find out yourself. Good luck, Murry!"  
  
  
Then it's gone and you hear yourself grumbling incoherently. Something soft and fluffy is in your claw. You crack open one eye to see you are grabbing onto the side of Gwen's face. Her cheek is lifted up by your palm, revealing her sharp fangs, and her eye is scrunched up.  
  
"You wake."  
  
She grumbles. Gwen is lying next to your bed of grass in her hut. You feel cold spots and a constricting feeling around your midsection. Your eyes groggily drift down and see the blue tentacles of an Omanyte holding a cold cloth to your bandaged torso. She is unbothered by your twitching morning wood.  
  
"You get faint. I bring home. Murdoch no worry. We got ghost."   
  
Gwen swats a familiar wooden bottle over with her tail, prompting a spectral grunt from inside.

* * *

  * Let's congratulate Gwen for getting us out of there and introduce ourself to the Omanyte. Thank her for helping with our injuries. 
  * Want to ask Gwen about the sleeping deal in the dungeon but with the priestess here that's a bad idea.  
Shake the Omanyte's tentacle and turn on the erotic joy buzzer power Hoopa gifted us. First impressions are important. 



* * *

You try to sit up with a groan as a spike of pain shoots through your torso. Gwen gently, but firmly pushes you back down.

"Don't try hard."

"Ngh. G-good work getting us out of there Gwen."

Giving in, you lie back down and hold your claw out to the Omanyte. Mischievous thoughts slink in your mind and you feel a light buzzing sensation in your fingers, like a static charge. A tentacle wraps around your palm and the Omanyte shivers visibly. There is a faint blush in her face. She does not verbally acknowledge the feeling, but she doesn't flinch away. With remarkable self control she shakes your claw and then releases it.

"T-thanks for the help. I-"

You cough a little, your chest aching. Gentle tendrils work at the wet strips of cloth on your chest.

"Easy, child. Let the salve do its work. Gwen told me your name earlier. I am Neha, a maiden of Ho-oh."

Her voice is soft and a little worn, like the auditory equivalent an old and familiar blanket. Gwen lays her head back down next to you, resting on her forepaws.

"The worst of your wounds have mended, the work of concentrated Oran juice. You are still bruised and sore. Only rest will mend that."

Lifting her tentacles, the ancient mollusc crawls to the entrance of the hut.

"I must go for now. I will return to change your bandages tonight. Rest easy, you performed well today."

Neha exits and you are left alone with Gwen, who sits quietly by your side.

"You hungry?" 

* * *

  * Starved. Mention that hopefully you won’t be on the mend too long, there’s dungeons to dive in. 
  * These fingers will be a lot of fun around town. Accept food from Gwen and tell her about meeting Hoopa while unconcious and how he gave us magic fingers that are good for stealing items and petting. 
    * Seconding this, outright mention the new ability he gave us. See how Gwen responds. I don’t think it right we try and sneak that onto her. 
      * I'm thinking she'll want to try it out. Given her personality I don't think she'll bother warning others about it either, even if we're messing with them in front of her. 
  * >"You hungry?"  
No, I'm Murdoch.
  * I wonder how it would feel if we fingered her and activated the touch while inside of her. I wonder how much pleasure it would take to even break Gwen down. 



* * *

"Ng, no, I'm Murdoch."  
  
Gwen's head tilts to the side and her ear swivels towards you. She accepts the no and remains where she is, the dad joke apparently going over her head. Or she's spiting you.  
  
"I-I'm only kidding. I'm starving."  
  
With a quiet grumble, Gwen gets up and goes to her food pile. It's gotten smaller since before and is almost all gone now. Gwen picks up a Pecha berry and carries it to you, holding it right in front of your face.  
  
You realize she expects you to take it right out of her mouth, to keep you from moving too much. Flushing a little at the strangely close contact, you bite into the berry and she lets go.   
  
It takes some time and effort to gnaw at the berry without moving any parts that hurt. You take bits and pieces at a time. The sweet, sticky Pecha juice gets all over your face and neck in the process.  
  
Finishing the sweet meal and feeling less painfully hungry, you relax again.  
  
"I um, I saw Hoopa while I was out. He gave me a new p-power."  
  
"Power. What kind?"  
  
Gwen's eyes are on you and you try to find the right words.  
  
"Well I, I-I can grab items from people better. But I picked it because it makes me m-much better at petting. My fingers can give p-p- pleasure. You know because I saw your uh, you like petting. On the g-guild card."  
  
Once you start, the words burst open like your mouth was a floodgate. Gwen hums lowly in her throat. It sounds less like a growl and more like she's thinking.  
  
"Sound nice."  
  
She moves closer, her head near your lower area. Your junior is still standing at half mast after Hoopa got you all worked up. Gwen's warm breath brushes it when she sniffs at it and you feel it start to twitch black to life.  
  
"Good dream."  
  
Her ear twitches and her mouth pouts. That thinking rumble in her throat returns, but the rest of her body language shows hesitation. Feet poised to pull back.  
  
"You choose, for me. Because I like petting in sex. That mean. You want sex?"

* * *

  * Of course. She's been so helpful and supportive of Murdoch in adapting to his new life, it's only natural that he would try to show her his appreciation in any way he can. 
  * Didn't expect a dad joke to work but one day we'll find comedy she understands.

Well, more like he's not a very good fighter and has been a complete mooch these past few days. Just wanted to do something nice for you is all. 




* * *

"Of- of course. I mean, you've been so supportive. And I've just b-been dragged along."  
  
You close your eyes and lay your head back down. Looking up at her angle above your torso is straining your neck muscles.   
  
"I'm n-not very, I mean, I'm useless at fighting. But I hope I don't slow you down too much with my injuries. W-we still have more dungeons to dive into and criminals to catch."  
  
There is a shift in the light coming in through your shut eyes and you feel the presence of Gwen standing over you, her paws on either side. She leans down and nuzzles your neck and the bottom of your snout. Her body hovers above you, not touching down so as not to strain your injuries.  
  
"Not useless. Need practice."  
  
Her wet tongue snakes out and drags down your neck, sliding under Hoopa's collar and then back up. Her tail sways between her legs, brushing up against your length, and you can't help but dribble a little onto your crotch and against her fur.  
  
"I d-don't just want you to give me pity sex either..."  
  
You reach up and scratch under her chin, not turning on the groove hands yet.  
  
"You already helped me a lot. I, I want to do something for you."  
  
Gwen raises her head back up and looks down between her forelegs at your battered torso. There is a deep chuckle in her throat.  
  
"If I go crazy, I break you. Maybe when better."  
  
As hot as snu snu sounds, you really don't want to die to it. There are surely ways you can get Gwen off without using your dick.  
  
>Suggest a method:  
>Oral  
>Fingering  
>Petting

* * *

  * Petting is her thing and we have the fingers for it, so let's do that. 
    * Same as this anon 



* * *

"Why don't you just lie down and l-leave it to me?"  
  
You reach up and run a claw through the thick fur of her chest and neck. Letting them sink down to the skin, you feel familiar contours and muscles shifting, the same place as your first encounter with Gwen near the lake.  
  
Gwen steps aside and lays next to you, sidled up and within reach. Her body is warm, but you imagine you must be even warmer. Something you don't even notice anymore. You're already getting used to this body.  
  
Turning over to the side with some mild pains, you wrap your arms around her and run the tips of your claw over her back. It strays up and settles behind her ears, rubbing and scratching. The other digs deep, rubbing her chest and underside.   
  
You bring one of your legs up to rub her thigh and around her flanks, teasing and avoiding the naughty places under her tail for now. You're pressed up against her side, lying there and hugging her. It's the most intimate position you've been in with someone in a long time. Even fooling around with Victor there wasn't so much close contact.  
  
Gwen is breathing through her nose, deeply in and out. There is a gentle hum in her chest you can feel. It hikes up and she twitches as one of your claws brushes past a row of nipples on her belly.  
  
>Keep it clean  
>Turn up the magic

* * *

  * Rub a claw against her tummy, make sure to graze nipples. Let her know you're going to test that new magic, and to warn us if it's not working, or if it's working too well. Start one claw at a time, the first in an 'innocent' spot, like her chest fluff, see how it works in proximity.

Like whether it needs proximity or if it turns where we are scratching into a temporary erogenous zone.

Also try masturbating later on with it, Hoopa may just have a sense of humor strong enough to leave that bit of detail out. 

  * >Turn up the magic  
Only the best for Gwen.
  * Complement her muscles. Burly girls don't get enough affection.  
Also I just remembered the ghost jar is still in the room. Put him somewhere else. Anywhere else. 
    * The bottle is wooden, so he can't see anything anyways. 



* * *

"I'm going to start t-turning the fingers on."  
  
That sounds so strange to say out loud. Gwen grunts affirmatively and you focus on the claw rubbing behind her ears. The feeling of static between your fingers settles in and you feel Gwen's breathing sharpen.  
  
The other circles one of her nipples, teasing it with no assistance from Hoopa. Her powerful thigh muscles clench and release each time you brush up against the center.   
  
"You have really nice muscles."  
  
Gwen rubs the side of her head up against your own.  
  
"You, nice scent."  
  
Her voice is deep and husky with arousal. The repetitive motions and close contact are so relaxing you feel yourself drifting off again. Even still leaking bits of pre onto Gwen's side and your bed under you.  
  
The thought strikes you that the Gastly is still contained in the little wooden bottle in the room. Embarrassed, you wonder if he's heard everything going on.  
  
The claw scritching at her head moves down to rub the side of her neck and knead deeply into her shoulder, feeling and massaging the muscles underneath. The tingle of your magic fingers sinks into her and you feel her hips gyrate, rubbing against her tail between her legs.  
  
"I will pay you back."  
  
Gwen growls next to your ear.  
  
"When you walk. We train. Then I put you back in bed."

* * *

  * Uh, try... appealing to her other fetish, worship... towards, I don't know... her paws??? For the EXP... 
  * Continue massaging from her chest down to her stomach and work around her lower region without actually going for it yet. And since she mentioned scent, throw out some Sweet Scent. 
  * Move to her inner thigh, ease slowly, see how wet we can get her without actually fingering her. Maybe cheekily try and see if she’ll force your hand if she gets riled up enough.

Also we’re leaking a lot, it would be a shame if getting licked and fingering our mate would push us over the edge into a hands free orgasm. 




* * *

Slipping one claw down her foreleg to her paw, you lift it up. Your little heart beats faster as you rub around her pads, turning her foot into an erogenous zone. You can't help yourself but to lean in and lick the smooth, sharp nails. It's impossible not to lose track of yourself and drift down to her rough, well-worn pads to worship and massage them with your claws and mouth.  
  
A pulse runs through your cock and a splurt of pre pumps out against Gwen's thigh.  
  
>Murdoch Power: Disadvantage (18, 20/10)  
The room subtly fills with a sweet scent, the undertones of musk mixing with the already present scent of both of your arousal.  
  
Gwen turns, rolling onto her side, and sidles back against you. Both pressed up against one another, chest to chest, your dick squishes up against her belly. Your partner licks your neck affectionately and you continue to twirl your tongue across the contours of her paw.  
  
>Murdoch Lewd: Disadvantage (17, 12/10)  
You gasp and feel a build up coming. You fight to hold it back, dribbling like a faucet. Knowing you won't hold on long you at this rate you reluctantly let her paw back down and massage her exposed belly, working your way down.  
  
You slide further down her body, down your bed of grass, burying your face in her soft underside. Dark fur is interspersed with splotches of pink skin around her nipples, and you and feel her heart beating in her chest.   
  
Claws wander down, rubbing her inner thighs. The leg she has against the floor is wet from her dripping sex. You pull down again and rest your head on her wet thigh, face to face with her pulsing cookie. Teasing her, you draw your fingers around it, tracing it without touching it, letting your magic do the work.

Her scent is powerful and heavy this close. Even against only open air, your dock twitches and sends another puddle of pre onto the floor. You can barely manage to keep edging yourself.  
  
The anticipation becomes too much for Gwen and she lowers the leg she has up in the air, grasping your head between her thighs. Without squeezing too hard she forces your forward, pressing your snout against her pussy. The smooth, round shape of your snout and her slickly lubricated walls have you slide right in.  
  
You go through several stages in a few moments. Elation as you slide out your tongue and taste the deep recesses of her canal. Panic as you suddenly realize you can't breath. Relief when you remember how freakishly wide your mouth is. You force the back edges open with difficulty, just enough to get in a gasp of warm air heavy with mixed pheromones. And acceptance as the sudden flood of hormones that follows the whole ordeal pushes you over the edge.  
  
>Murdoch Lewd: Disadvantage (4, 2/10)  
Your edged cock pulses just once, barely a fraction of a second of warning before you erupt all over the hut floor. Your modest little member floods with the most powerful orgasm you've had in years, doing its utmost to reach the slanted walls of the hut above you.  
  
>Gwen Lewd: Advantage (13, 10/10)  
Your claws squeeze Gwen's ass and you dig in with your tongue, The walls of her sex squeeze and contract around your snout, the plush outer triangle and powerful thighs of grey and black fur all your eyes can see. A rush of fluids floods from inside of her and you hack and cough a little as they surge down your throat.

Hearing you, Gwen finally releases you from between her thighs and your snout comes free with a slick pop of suction. She catches the back of your head with her hindpaws as you draw back and catch your breath.  
  
"You breathe?"  
  
"Y-yeah."  
  
"Keep going."  
  
She growls it like an order. Your erection is shrinking down, but her arousal is still thick in the air. Unsatisfied with just one orgasm, she pulls you in closer again, but not right inside.  
  
>Gwen Lewd: Advantage, Second Round (18, 8/12)  
>Gwen Lewd: Advantage, Third Round (14, 7/14)  
>Gwen Lewd: Advantage, Fourth Round (4, 20/16)  
>Gwen Lewd: Advantage, Fifth Round (2, 3/18)  
You lose track of how long you've been down here working at her with your tongue. Playing with her feet, tail, and thighs with your claws. It might be hours.  
  
Finally, after orgasm after orgasm, Gwen turns away and rolls onto her back. Her tongue is lolled out from the side of her mouth and she's still moaning and growling, foot kicking in the air. You lay where you are, stunned. You might have forgotten what anything that's not Gwen smells or tastes like. You're hungry again. The sun has gone down.  
  
Gwen suddenly flicks her ears and sits up in a chaotic scramble. The floor and one of her flanks are covered in puddles of pre, and your cum is all over the floor and wall. Her cum is all over your face, neck and bed.  
  
"Someone coming. We a mess."

* * *

  * >murdoch rolled well for once  
Never thought I'd see the day. And wow, Gwen, talk about endurance.   
  
Since the mess reaches the walls, there's no chance of covering it up. The only thing to do is meet whoever is coming outside before they wander in on their own. Try to rub your face clean first at least.
  * Unless you want to lick it up yourself, we may just have to let them see us like this, apologize if it's staff. Mention it's been a while.

Also, try to be sneaky, and despite your orgasm passing, try your magic touch on your cock, very briefly, see if the magic works on you. 




* * *

Thinking fast you wipe off your face with your kilt from the floor. Forgetting to turn off your magic touch, you try to stuff your shrinking cock back into its slit. Instead you send an erotic tingle through your body that makes it ache in new places.

Moaning and groaning with your dick still hanging out, you struggle to slip your kilt on and lean against Gwen's side, covering her pre-stained fur with your body. You whine and pull her towards the door.

Gwen follows your direction and the two of you walk out into the open of the village. The moon and stars are out, shining down from above. Some of the huts emanate the sound of snores or the light of candles.

Victor flutters and glides down. He lands next to the two of you, worry etched on his face.

"Oh my, are you up already? You still look badly hurt."

You look down a your bandaged chest and nod. It hurts to keep standing, but leaning on Gwen helps.

"J-just, just getting some air. Been... inside all d-day. Very smothering."

You feel an almost imperceptible snort of air from Gwen's nose. Victor comes over and helps support you on your other side.

"I was just bringing some extra food."

Victor pulls a bag off of his back. He holds it out and Gwen takes it in her mouth. You can smell berries from inside, of various kinds.

"How is your recovery coming along?" 

* * *

  * Did we just ditch a room soaked wall to floor in cum?

Tell him you’re sore as all heck but you’ll recover, just glad the job went through in the end. Whisper to Gwen to keep our new power a secret, let her know you intend to surprise him pretty soon.

  * We found Gwen's sense of humor. Since Victor and Murdoch had fun throwing innuendos over Gwens head earlier, now seems like a good time to flip the script:  
Thank him for bringing food. Tell him we're starving even though it feels like we've been eating all day. Neha said we should be fine with rest and Gwen made sure we stayed in bed since we woke up. Luckily she seems to have enough stamina for the both of us while we're recovering. 
  * Dirty talk is Victor's fetish. We would turn him on if we did that. Provided he understood.  
Shouldn't we tell Neha if we leave the hut? Of course, ignoring the... situation; we'd still have to tell her we were leaving. Especially since she said "I will return later to change your bandages tonight".  
She's going to be looking for us (and possibly very angry) if we don't go back. And if, as I have taken from context, the hut is hers, she's going to have a lot of nasty words for us.  
  
Of course, Neha isn't here yet, but before she arrives, we have to somehow have Victor leave and attempt to clean the hut.   
Maybe we could tell Victor to practice the mind-reading communication thing with Gwen - I don't know, just something to get them to leave. Then we could go back to the hut - of course, this is just a suggestion. I'm not sure we'd be able to charm Victor and Gwen into leaving, and it might   
be rude if we tried to force them to leave.   
Still, the... evidence... in the hut must be disposed of. 
    * (If it changes plans, I can clarify that the hut is Gwen and Murdoch's, not Neha's) 
  * Gwen either understands innuendo a little bit or finds lies funny. Progress?

Thanks for the food and kind words, Victor. Gonna cut this conversation short, so use telepathy if anything important comes up.

Murry's bed is a goner. The walls and floor they can clean but the bed is just a pile of straw. Only way to clean it is to throw it all away and replace it with fresh stuff. Then again, he could just share Gwen's bed tonight (and all future nights). Pull out Victor's book and read to Gwen for a bit while waiting for the tentacle doctor. 




* * *

No way around it now, you think. Reluctantly you admit to Victor what happened. You lower your voice so hopefully nobody in nearby huts overhears.  
  
"Okay, admittedly we um, w-we got a little carried away. Things got pretty randy. It feels rude to ask you to... you know. Clean up my c-cum. But Neha could be on her way back and..."  
  
A wing rubs up and down your back reassuringly.  
  
"Hey, relax. What are friends for, if not to turn to in moments like these? I will be quick."  
  
Carefully leaving you in Gwen's care, Victor takes wing and flies up towards the cliffside. Gwen eases you back inside.  
  
Your bed is a goner. It was Gwen's cum that soaked it for the most part, but it reeks of her scent. Neha might question why the bed is suddenly gone, but it has to be done.  
  
"Gwen, I think... this bed has to go. Sorry."  
  
She leads you over to her own bed of straws and lowers you down. You lay back and all of your constant pains from moving around begin to subside, replaced with less sharp aches.  
  
Gwen gathers up the straws of the bed and drags them out. You admire your handiwork. The floor is dirt so it will be easy to dig fresh soil to pack down the soiled parts.

There's movement outside and your heart nearly skips a beat, but it's only Victor with a cloth and a bucket. You point out the spots on the wall where your splurts are drying up.  
  
"T-the floor should be -easy. That's all we need to wash."  
  
You try to get over there to help, but alone it proves impossible. Victor shakes his head.  
  
"Just rest alright? Victor has it under control."  
  
>Victor Intelligence: Advantage, Skill (3, 19/8)  
With remarkable speed, Victor prepares a wet washcloth and scrubs at the stretched cloth wall of the hut. You are reminded his maid costume isn't only for show. He's very good at this. As far as you can see he didn't miss a spot.  
  
Gwen returns while he is cleaning and uses her canine talent for digging up dirt to hide the floor of shame under a fresh layer.  
  
Awkwardly coming up to the side of Gwen you painted with precum, he holds up the cloth. Gwen grunts and sits still for him to scrub at her side and get it cleared away.  
  
Lastly, Victor brings out a glass bottle with a spraying nozzle on the end, filled with a teal liquid. He squirts it onto the wall and around the hut, then where your bed was.  
  
"Wh- what is that?"  
  
The perfume has a tangy scent and must be berry-based much like his lubricant.  
  
"A little something I make from Yache berries. They are a natural anaphrodisiac. Coincidentally, also excellent at covering up the smell of sex."  
  
Gwen walks past and sniffs the bottle, wrinkling her nose. She treads over and lays down beside you, on your opposite side towards the wall, and takes a whiff of your scent instead.

Victor giggles a little watching the two of you. His ears swivel and he steps outside. You can still hear his voice from inside.  
  
"Good evening, elder."  
  
"How nice to see you, Victor. Did you come to visit your friend again?"  
  
>Victor Charm: (20)  
>Neha Intelligence: Advantage (14, 11)  
"Indeed. There was something of a spill while he was eating, but I helped get it cleaned up. I will not be in your way."  
  
Victor smoothly explains away the entire situation. There is an exchange of farewells and nighty well-wishes between the two and Neha enters alone. She does not comment on the smell.  
  
"I heard you had a spill. It's a good thing I brought fresh bandages."  
  
A pair of baskets worn over her spiral shell contains new bandages and containers of Oran salve. Her dextrous tentacles carefully undress you of your wound dressings and replace them with fresh ones for the night. The cool touch of the fresh Oran salve feels immediately soothing, and you find yourself relaxing easily. It will be much easier to sleep.  
  
"That's better. Do you need anything else?"

* * *

  * Tell her no and thank her again for helping us. When she leaves ask Gwen what we'll be doing with the ghost. 



* * *

Images of those tentacles feeling all over you while you remain stuck and unable to resist float through your mind. How old is she? With Pokemon it can be hard to tell.   
  
"Nng. No ma'am. Thanks s-so much for your help."  
  
Her tentacle brushes your head softly, flowing smoothly over the curve. It is soft and smooth against your scales, and not too slimy.  
  
"Think nothing of it. I'm happy we have such a good soul here as our new Guildmaster."  
  
You blush in embarrassment, from a mixture of dirty thoughts and receiving a compliment in her sweetly genuine voice.  
  
Neha slides her way out of the hut, leaving you with Gwen. She rests her head on top of your neck, nestled just above your collar.  
  
"You know, I- what do we do with the ghost, now that we caught him?"  
  
Gwen hums deep in her throat and you can feel the vibrations against yours'.  
  
"Nowhere here. Take to big town. They keep."  
  
A big town. If each town or village has its own guild, that means one of your rivals must be there. Part of you is curious to meet them, wondering what kind of person they are.  
  
Even for having been in bed for most of it today was an eventful day. Enjoying the warmth of sharing Gwen's bed, and with the soothing numbness of the Oran salve making your aches disappear, you drift back to sleep.  
  
>Murdoch has gained extra Experience from Indulging Gwen's Fetishes.  
>Murdoch can learn Double Slap.  
>Double Slap (Fitness): Causes minor injury. Can hit 1d4+1 times. Poor accuracy.  
>Murdoch already knows four moves. Delete a move to learn Double Slap?

* * *

  * We already been missing every attack we have been trying and this one has even lower accuracy, gonna go with no. 
  * Replace Scratch. Multi-hit with a higher DC requirement is significantly better than a regular DC10. We miss every power attack because a DC10 with disadvantage is a 30% hit chance. This is basically an attack with built in advantage. Rolling a 1 might be similar to Scratch, but anything higher is almost guaranteed to be better. 
    * Seconding. Scratch is just a weaker alternative. 
  * replace scratch 



* * *

>Murdoch forgot Scratch  
>Murdoch learned Double Slap  
  
It is still dark when Gwen stirs. Her movement wakes you, jostling you from peaceful slumber. Your claws, folded over your chest, feel around. Your wounds feel less tender under the bandages and the dried cloths that were once soaked in salve.  
  
Gwen feels you stir alongside her. She brushes you with her cold, wet nose.  
  
"Mm. Going exercise. Like early. Sorry to wake."  
  
You mumble something like language, groggily acknowledging her existence. She steps over you and out of the hut into the fresh, crisp early morning air.  
  
Try as you might, it's one of those mornings where sleep doesn't come back after the cruel touch of wakefulness banishes it from your mind. Rolling onto your side, you feel none of the stings or aches from the day before. The wooden bottle containing your captured ghost is still where it was before.  
  
It looks like either an early morning of productivity or lying fruitlessly in bed will be in your near future. Gwen is out exercising, she said. Maybe you could join her. Maybe there's something else that needed doing that will come back to you once your thoughts collect.

* * *

  * If we're not too weak I think we should train with Gwen. Our battle performance needs work.. 
  * Let's see... check on our inventory, check on the ghost, see how damaged we are... I think those are the only things that need doing.

Let's try to learn how to steal things, too. 

  * Some morning exercise is probably a good idea if we're up to it. 
  * We really need to find a way to... pay Victor back for what he did for us last night, I think. 
  * Bake him a pie. Murdoch knows how to bake, right? Although, that might be considerably too forward. 
    * I second this motion, Murdoch should flex his baking muscles in this world 
    * We don't have an oven in the hut. Or a kiln. well, Murdoch has a little fire power, so maybe that will help

I will say though, that in the future, building a rudimentary oven and becoming the village baker (and on-the-side-whore) sounds like a wonderful and idyllic pastime. Although we can't do that yet, we should at least keep that in mind.

      * Now that you mention it, we've never seen Gwen eat cooked food either have we? Thanks to Victor there is plenty of fruit to mess with so making a nice breakfast sounds like a good start. All we're lacking are knives, pans, spatulas, a heating element, plates, and literally everything. Being a fire type with claws and heat resistance probably covers half the tools at best, but he will for certain need something made of metal or stone to cook in.  
Not sure how healthy it is for a poison type to be handling food prep but whatever. Let's get Breath of the Wild up in this bitch. 



* * *

The entirety of yesterday you spent in bed, and it takes a lot of effort to pull yourself out of it.  
  
The first thing you do is check on your captive ghost to make sure he's still in the bottle. The wood doesn't show what's inside, but the cork Gwen used is still firmly in place and there are no cracks.  
  
Peeling off your bandages and wraps, you find your stomach and chest free of anything other than a couple small bruises. They don't hurt a lot, just sting a little to touch.  
  
Testing out the other half of your new powers comes to mind. Stealing things could get you a bad reputation, but maybe you can find a willing practice partner?  
  
After spending a whole day in bed your legs still feel a little weak. You decide some morning exercise with Gwen isn't such a bad idea.  
  
Going out into the fresh early morning air, you go to the spot where you and Gwen trained before. Gwen is running laps around the training area. When she comes to the edge where you are she skids to a stop and flicks her tail.  
  
"Morning. Sorry if I wake."  
  
You shake your head and smile.  
  
"It's alright Gwen, I c-could use some exercise. Mind if I join you?"  
  
Swinging her head to usher you into the training field, Gwen takes off again on her laps. Her powerful legs propel her at much faster speeds than you could hope to go.  
  
You get down on all fours and fall into a lizard scamper after her. Your Salandit body isn't made for long runs, so you quickly get lapped by Gwen multiple times.

Soon you are out of breath and huffing and puffing sweet-smelling but poisonous fumes. You have to take a break and sit on the sidelines while Gwen performs other exercises. She practices jumping from side to side, and what you think is a quadrupedal version of a burpee.  
  
Your stomach growls, reminding you that exercise is hard work and need body fuel. Thinking on the topic of food reminds you that you haven't been able to flex your baking muscles since you got here. It might be worth it while you and Gwen are in a bigger town to look for an oven to bring back with your earnings from the bounty hunt. A fresh berry pie could be a great way to thank Victor for his help last night.  
  
Gwen comes over while you're thinking and brushes her side up against you.  
  
"I hear you. Hunger growl. Come, will show."  
  
Curious what it might be she's going to show you, you get up and follow her. Gwen leads you all the way out of town, the same way the two of you originally came in.  
  
"W-where are we going?"  
  
Gwen looks back. The two of you are on the plateau above the footprint valleys now. It's no longer dark out and the sun is starting to warm up the wide open space.  
  
"Berry grove. Get food."  
  
That sounds good to you. Her lead takes you out over the lake near the spot you first met. The landscape flattens out in this direction, great canyons replaced with tall grass and rolling hills. The edge of the two biomes looks unnatural, like somebody laid out two different landscapes next to each other in a Sims game.

It's among the tall grass that Gwen stops. Part of it is trimmed and cleared out to keep it short. There is a chunk of grasses missing from the edge of the clearing that doesn't match with the rest of the circle.  
  
>Murdoch Intelligence: Advantage (17, 17/10)  
This must be the spot where Gwen got food and the grass straws to make your now ruined bed.  
  
There are two berry bushes growing here. A Pecha and a Chesto. They're placed just far enough so Gwen or someone else must have planted them here. She starts picking berries and dropping them into her item bag.  
  
"Do you know where we c-can get an oven?"  
  
Gwen pauses to drop a Chesto out of her mouth and into the bag.  
  
"Oven. For cook? Bogdan make, maybe. We go Tallspire for outlaw. Will have oven. Definite."  
  
You step up and help her pick a few berries that are high up and hard for her to reach. She lifts you up on her shoulders to get them.  
  
With a bag full of fresh Pechas and Chestos, you start to go back to the village.

* * *

  * Practice stealing/snatching berries with Gwen. Not super clear if it helps you do it stealthily for actual thievery or if it's more of a disarming type thing. Maybe start by seeing if you can get items out of the bag without her noticing, then let her in on the game and see about taking things from her while she's aware of what you're doing. 
  * We should have the meal at Victor's place and then discuss our next move as a group. 



* * *

Getting ideas on the walk back, you slink closer to Gwen as she walks, doing your best to keep up with her alpha stride. Scampering on all fours makes it hard to reach up into her item bag so you get up on two legs.  
  
Gwen slows down a little to look back a you and flicks her ear, giving you a raised brow. You reach over and scratch her under the chin as a distraction. She rumbles in approval and lifts up her chin.  
  
>Murdoch Fitness: Incompetency (7/12)  
>Fingers Advantage: (16/10)  
Going on two legs is starting to get tiring, so you stop scritching and drop back down. In the same motion you snag one of the Chestos from her bag and drop it under you while her head is still lifted up.  
  
It almost comes as second nature when you move, and your tail scoops up the berry behind you, wrapping around it to hold it.  
  
>Gwen Intelligence: (9/10)  
>Fingers Disadvantage: (18/10)  
Gwen doesn't notice at all. Her pace picks up again as she follows a natural inclination to take the lead.  
  
You look back at the berry you snagged. That was actually surprisingly easy.  
  
"Hey, Gwen."  
  
She looks over her shoulder and you hold up the Chesto behind you with your tail. Gwen tilts her head and looks down at the item bag, at the spot where it was on top.  
  
"You take?"  
  
You can't help but wear a proud smirk.  
  
"I was practicing! H-hoopa's special fingers can do more than I showed you last night. I thought we might need to d-disarm outlaws or steal back something they stole."  
  
Or steal something for yourself if you really need to. A little bit of something video games taught you.  
  
"Never saw. Impressive."  
  
"I want to see how good it is at- at grabbing things someone is holding. Think we can try?"  
  
Gwen looks down into the bag and bobs her head, plucking a Pecha out. She slows her pace so you can more easily keep up again.

>Murdoch Fitness: Incompetency (6)  
>Fingers Advantage: (6)  
>Gwen Fitness: Advantage (11, 4)  
You manage to reach up and grab the berry in her mouth. But your three limbs still walking get tangled up in your clumsiness and you fall over yourself.  
  
>Murdoch Luck Advantage: (19)  
The force of your fall yanks the berry out of Gwen's mouth, leaving fang marks raked across its surface and bleeding sticky, clear, sugary juice. You can hear Gwen snort out a laugh as you land in a lizardly tangle with one leaking berry in hand and another wrapped up in the end of your tail.  
  
"You funny guy."  
  
>Murdoch Fitness: Incompetency (1)  
>Gwen Fitness: Advantage (8, 15)  
Gwen demonstrates that your powers do not extend to holding onto what you stole, as she bends down and effortlessly plucks the Pecha from your tiny claw, chomping into it.  
  
"Waste juice."  
  
She explains, licking her chops after she's swallowed. You untangle yourself and get up, setting the Chesto back in the item bag.  
  
"H-heh. Maybe I should practice walking first."  
  
Aside from your antics, the trip back is uneventful. With the village below down the cliffside trail you make a suggestion.  
  
"Why d-don't we go eat breakfast with Victor? That was we can discuss our next move as... as a team."  
  
Without any complaint, Gwen heads straight for the village library instead of back home to the hut. The two of you see a small trail of smoke coming out form inside. At first you start to worry, but you peek inside to see Victor yawning and stirring a small bowl over a fire pit.  
  
"Ah, Murdoch. Glad to see you on your feet again, my friend. And Gwen is here as well, hello."  
  
The Poochyena saunters around past you and walks up to Victor, sniffing the bowl.  
  
"Chesto."  
  
Victor nods, his great big ears bobbing up and down.  
  
"I've been trying to adjust myself to a diurnal sleep schedule. That is, sleeping at night like most do. I will be of no use if I'm asleep when you two are at work."

* * *

  * Possible topics of discussion:

TKF  
How to get to Tallspire  
Telecommunication  
Baking

I will think of more later 

  * It's kind of Victor to make the effort to help out, hopefully he's taking power naps, readjusting isn't easy.

Ask Victor if he's any good at baking, mention that in your old life it was a skill you had, maybe the two of you could help one another. 




* * *

You sit down next to the small fire Victor has going, closer than you probably would have as a human. The ambient heat radiating from it feels divine.  
  
"T-thanks, Victor. That's really thoughtful. I hope you're still taking naps and taking c-care of yourself."  
  
Holding up a wing to conceal a yawn, Victor spoons a little of his mixture into a small stone cup and sets it to the side to cool.  
  
"I'll be certain to get enough rest. Speaking of rest, how are you feeling?"  
  
"Great!"  
  
You lift up one of your noodly limbs and flex it for emphasis. Gwen chuckles at the sight and Victor cracks a smile.  
  
"I noticed you make a lot of stuff out of b-berries. Do you do any baking?"  
  
Victor looks down at the bowl as he takes it carefully off of the fire.  
  
"Not particularly, though I've dabbled from time to time. I'm better at mixing up drinks. Teas, blended juices, that sort of thing."  
  
Like his little secret recipe he gave you. You shoot a look at Gwen's item bag out of the corner of your eye, where the jar of Leppa lube is nestled, then back at Victor. You give him a knowing wink.  
  
"I l-like cooking, but baking for sure is my best. I'm hoping they have an oven I c-can get somewhere in Tallspire."  
  
>Murdoch Intelligence: Advantage (15, 7)  
>Victor Charm: (13)  
The mention of the bigger town dims Victor's mood. It's almost imperceptible. If you hadn't been looking at his face you would have missed it, but his smile flickers away. The bat boy quickly puts it back on and looks down at the fire.  
  
"I have no oven I'm afraid. There are a few skewers we could use to roast berries over the fire. Roasted Pecha are fantastic when the sugar caramelizes."  
  
"Sound good."  
  
Gwen eagerly withdraws a few Pechas out of the bag. Victor scoots over and tries to fish one out for himself that doesn't have Gwen's drool on it. You feel a little sense of irony since you know most of them she picked with her mouth anyways. Whatever helps him feel better.

* * *

  * maybe cheer up the batboy with a dose of innuendo? 
  * Is Victor's Charm helping him hide his feelings or making them more clear to us?

Admit to being excited to see what a 'big city' looks like in this world. 

    * (Victor was trying to conceal his feelings)
  * Gently inquire about Victor's mood. Try to get him to talk about it. 
  * Remember not to discuss the city when victor is present. Maybe when we arrive at Tallspire we can investigate Victor's condition further. 



* * *

"You nervous about p-putting Gwen's b-berries in your mouth? If it makes you feel better, I'd... I'd put your berries in my mouth any day."  
  
You give him an innocent smile as his ears flush darker colors. Victor finally picks out a satisfactory berry and goes to get some wooden skewers from a box. His butt sticks up as he bends down to gather them and you give him an ogle.  
  
"I'm excited to see what a b-big city looks like in your world."  
  
You gently try to steer the conversation back towards the city. Victor passes out the skewers. Gwen awkwardly tries to take one with her mouth and you reach over, offering to handle it for her. Gwen shakes her head and insists on doing it herself, clasping the skewer tightly.  
  
"There were few nice things to say about the cities in your world, as I recall."  
  
Victor slides a Pecha onto the end of Gwen's skewer and she turns to the side to hold it over the little fire. You and Victor put on your own and begin roasting the berries on the ends.  
  
"All c-concrete and metal. Lots of smog from b-burning fuel."  
  
"I guarantee there is nothing of the sort here. I'm sure you gathered as much from the name, but Tallspire is named for its tall and impressive stone buildings."  
  
Victor holds the skewer between his wingtips, handling the base with his feet for better dexterity. His gaze is distant for a moment.  
  
"A previous winner of the guild competition is responsible for raising the town up from nothing."  
  
"T-the city seems to get you down."  
  
The bat is quiet, until he draws his berry back. The exterior is darkened and he carefully takes a bite of the warm berry.  
  
Taking the pause of silence, you draw your berry back as well and feel the surface with your claw. It's heated by the fire, the sugars inside will be woken up and transformed into a sticky caramel.

"I used to live there."  
  
After finishing his first bite, Victor finally answers the implied question.  
  
"It's a nice place. A lot of Pokemon, all different kinds. There was... there were some people there that I knew, who I no longer get along with. I moved out here to get away from everything."  
  
For a moment it looks like he's going to continue, but he stops and takes another bite of his berry instead.  
  
You decide to leave it there rather than press a sensitive topic. Glancing over at Gwen to see how she's doing, you see her paying attention to you and Victor and forgetting her berry. It's caught fire over the small fire pit.  
  
"Oh, G-gwen!"  
  
Gwen looks and finally sees the fire. Her eyes go wide and her ears peel back. Victor quickly waves a wing.  
  
"Don't panic! If you start waving it around you may hit the books!"  
  
Gwen growls and gives up on the berry, setting it down in the fire to let it burn. She lets go of it from in her mouth.  
  
"Distracted. My fault."  
  
She looks disappointedly at the burnt up Pecha.

* * *

  * Ask him if there's anything in particular we should check out while we're at the city. We were planning on at least meeting whatever rival guild has started up there. 
  * Pick up her cooking stick and use slight of hand to replace her berry with ours. 
    * It's in the fire now. 
      * Fine, use our own stick then 



* * *

Looking down at your own berry, you reach out and pick up the skewer Gwen left on the ground and lift the berry out of the fire. It's charred and burnt, with a few embers that linger as you remove it from the pit.  
  
With one claw you slide the burnt berry off of the stick. It lands on the cave floor and the embers soon flicker out. In its place you slide your own cooked Pecha onto the stick and offer that end to Gwen.  
  
Gwen looks bashful for once.  
  
"Thank, Murdoch. Am not good at... ask for help."  
  
She takes the skewer and tries a bite of the Pecha, closing her eyes and savoring the taste. Victor looks at you and mirrors her smile.  
  
"You are a good human, Murdoch. Whatever Hoopa may have said, I want us to win this thing."  
  
Gwen is happily enjoying her treat and it seems to have indirectly cheered Victor up, dispelling the bad thoughts he had lingered on.  
  
"I, actually am hoping to see some of my c-competition while I'm there. See who they are. Ap-part from that, is there anywhere you recommend going?"  
  
Victor thinks on the question and scratches his chest fluff.  
  
"Well, it's not my magnificent collection..."  
  
He looks to his bookshelves and speaks with a sarcastic tone.  
  
"But they have a reasonably stocked library. There is also a place you may enjoy founded by companions of one of the previous contestants. He introduced them to a food called pizza, which they now make."

* * *

  * are we sure there's another team there? The nearest team might be the next continent away for all we know 
  * Pizza will be tough to beat, but we'll share a couple recipes of our own once we have that oven.



* * *

"A-are we sure there's actually another team there? Actually, h-how big is the world? Are there other continents?"

"There will definitely be a Guild in Tallspire. It's the biggest town in the known world. However they decide who starts where, the person who picked first definitely picked Tallspire."

Victor looks out past the cave exit and over the valley village.

"Hoopa must have really drawn the short straw. We're one of the most out of the way places and certainly the smallest. And about other continents..."

He raises his shoulders in a helpless shrug.

"Nobody knows. Anyone who sails too far away just winds up running aground on aquatic Mystery Dungeons in a thick fog. Some of the most dangerous and powerful Empties are out there. Being the first Guild in a contest to explore one successfully is a quick ticket to fame, but..."

The bat flicks his eyes between you and Gwen, then down at himself. He giggles and swivels his ears around.

"We would not last five minutes as we are."

With conversation winding down, you get yourself a new berry and join the other two in eating. You enjoy a quiet meal with your two new friends. Not just friends, but partners.

After finishing, Victor sees you out with Gwen.

"Sorry I can't come with you. There are just... too many bad memories in that place. But if you need to ask me anything, anything at all, you just have to think of me. I know I'll be thinking of you."

He surprises you by moving closer and wrapping you in a hug with his wings. Gwen moves closer and butts her head against his left wing.

"Am not invited?"

Victor giggles and reaches around to pull her into a group hug as well.

"Be safe you two."

The hug breaks and you and Gwen step away to climb back down from the cliffside. The ghost's bottle is still back home to grab before you set out for Tallspire. There are extra Pechas and Chestos for food in the bag.

Anything pressing that needs to be done in the village should be done now.. 

* * *

  * Let's visit the shop. We can at least replace our oran berry and maybe see if Amor or Gwen can think of anything else we might need since we don't really know how big of a deal the trip will be. Most importantly though, we need to try to brush Amor with the magic fingers when she's passing us whatever goods we get. 
  * We can return Victor's books to the library. If we still have time, try visiting more of the residents. Like the Tyrunt, I guess. 
    * We've only skimmed one of the three books that we have so far. Probably want to hold onto them for now. 
  * Definitely return Victor's books if he needs them back, he was very explicit about them not leaving town, unless he says otherwise now.

Stock up on food, berries, adventuring gear like rope. The basics for a travel. 




* * *

Thinking ahead, you realize that Victor's books will just be sitting in Gwen's hut the whole time you're gone. If there's heavy rain they might get damaged.  
  
While you and Gwen stop off at the hut to pick up the ghost's bottle, you collect the books.  
  
"I'm g-going to return these before we go."  
  
Holding the books carefully, you start to waddle your way back. There's no way to put them in the bag without squishing all the berries, so Gwen just follows along as you go at a painfully slow pace.  
  
"S-say uh, why don't you go see if Amor has any um, s-supplies or rope? I might take a while so I'll meet you there."  
  
Gwen looks up at the cliffside trail and nods. She pulls ahead with a quick word back.  
  
"Walk careful."  
  
You had no intention of doing otherwise.  
  
Along the way you pass by the Tyrunt you saw on the first day here. He's not doing any stonecarving at the moment, instead washing his face at one of the small streams that run through the village.  
  
The dinosaur looks up when you go by and snickers at your awkward waddle.  
  
"Hey kid, you need a hand?"  
  
With a gravelly voice, he stomps up to you near the base of the trail. Your eyes drift down to the stubby arms dangling at his chest. His eyes follow yours' down, twisting his head to flex and admire his fingers.  
  
"What, think I can't carry anything cause of these?"  
  
Abruptly, he moves in and shoves his head under your arms, lifting you up. You find yourself suspended, hanging from either side of his head as he holds you up proudly. It's far from a comfortable position with all the ridges and horns on his skull.  
  
"W-whoa! Hey, put me down!"  
  
Laughing a deep belly laugh, the kind that jostles and bounces you, he leans forwards and sends you tumbling back to the ground.  
  
"Well? How about you plop those books on my noggin? Or would you rather go to waddling around like a Delibird?"

* * *

  * Books on head it is then. Thank him for helping and introduce yourself on the way to the library. 



* * *

You carefully balance the books on his head, as he leans down for you to do so. He stands back up with ease and surprising balance. Those massive, powerful talons must do a good job of anchoring him.

"T-t-thanks. Er, I'm Murdoch b-by the way."

You get back down on all fours, a position that's getting more natural for you. With the Tyrunt beside you, you head back up the trail.

"I heard of you from Amor. The new Guildmaster. Can't say you make a strong first impression kid, but I'd be a fool to judge a book by its looks."

He pointedly flexes his little stub arms again with a deep, bass chuckle. The two of you turn into Victor's library, where he seems surprised to see you back so soon.

"Back so soon, Murdoch? Ah, with the books. Good morning Bogdan."

"You're up early tonight, ceiling flower!"

Bogdan bumps Victor with his hip, knocking the bat onto his butt. The dino drops the books off of his head into the return box.

"There you go, Murry."

"Thanks a- again."

The dino's large mouth cracks into a toothy grin.

"No problem, it was an easy job. Name's Bogdan, look me up if you and Gwen need any houseware."

Without much more fanfare he struts out, striding down the trail to the base of the cliffside. You hear Victor shuffle back to his feet and turn to face him.

"I had forgotten entirely about the books, actually. Thank you for returning them."

He flaps over to the cave entrance and looks out, watching Bogdan go. He adopts a quieter voice.

"Just look at those legs. Those things could plow you into the floor."

You recognize the blush in his ears easily. The bat shakes his head as if shaking loose those distracting thoughts.

"But you have more important things to take care of than talk with me about cute guys, hm?" 

* * *

  * Tell him yes, but to feel free to keep imagining Murdoch getting plowed into the floor and give him a quick pat on the back with the magic fingers as we head out to meet up with Gwen. 



* * *

You pat Victor on the back and run a finger up his spine, letting it send a tingle through his body. The bat squeaks a little in response.

"Y-yes. I do. But we can talk another time."

Victor waves, sheepishly covering his lower regions with his other wing as you head up to the trading post, which isn't far.

Inside, you can hear Gwen and Amor talking.

"Okay girl, there's everything for you. I wrapped up the bread in some cloth to keep it fresh longer~"

"Thank, Amor."

There's a rustle of cloth and material as Gwen shuffles something into the item bag.

"So Gwennie-bean, how's things with Murdoch? You two sharing a bed yet? Oh don't give me that look, you know how Salandits are~"

"Is fine. He good. Bed... broke. So we share now."

Amor's shrill, girly laugh resounds from inside. You can hear Gwen's lighter, less serious growl beneath it.

"Broke the bed? How do you break a straw bed? Girl no wonder he's been in recovery for a day~"

You slip inside and approach. Amor sees you coming and winks.

"There's the guy himself."

The two of them aren't alone this time. There's a third Pokemon in the room, a Pelipper with webbed feet wrapped around a wooden avian perch on the counter. She must be the Pelipper from the sign outside. She greets you with a drawl.

"Aw honey, nice to finally meet you. Amor been telling me all about you and your new Guild, big strong bounty hunters hm? I'm Anan."

Gwen is in the midst of transferring another Oran, some rope, and a cloth-wrapped loaf of bread into the item bag. She looks up as you come in.

"You fast. With books." 

* * *

  * love them both.

Greet Anan and assure Amor that he's been the way Salandit are for much longer than he's been a Salandit. 

  * Tell her we're not sure if we're actually settling on bounty hunting. The past few days have shown us Murdoch is a better lover than a fighter. 



* * *

"I- I've been the way Salandit are for m-much longer than I've been a Salandit."  
  
You furtively slide up next to Gwen at the counter, gravitating closer to her. It's been a long time since you've been around so many people at once, let alone a group of ladies.  
  
"Is that so, Murdoch? I never would have guessed you were so spicy."  
  
Amor gets a sly smile. You shift your gaze away from meeting her eye and introduce yourself to her partner.  
  
"I'm Murdoch, the Guild guy. T-that's me. Not sure if bounty hunting is for me yet, er- not that it means the Guild can't do that or, well. I'm just a better lover than a f-fighter, ahaha."  
  
Truth be told you aren't too confident in either of those two things. The two trading post girls giggle with each other, giving you leering eyes.  
  
"Is that so? Hey Gwen~"  
  
Amor wiggles behind the counter, her fluffy pigtails bouncing back and forth.  
  
"What would you say Murdoch's best qualities are?"  
  
Seeming to take the question totally at face value, Gwen hums in her throat and sits down. She shoots you an appraising glance.  
  
"He crazy. Fight crazy sly like Nickit. Better than he think."  
  
Amor looks a little disappointed at the lack of a saucy answer. She just shakes her head and laughs to herself.  
  
"Never change, Gwen."  
  
"So where you two headed?"  
  
This time Anan speaks up. You pat the item bag hanging in front of Gwen.  
  
"Delivering an outlaw t-to Tallspire."  
  
"Well ain't that a lucky thing. I'm just headed to Tallspire myself. If you want I could save you the trip."  
  
You look down at the bag and then back up at Anan. There were some things you wanted to see and do in Tallspire. Sending in crooks by delivery might not help your reputation much either. On the other hand, saving time could mean being able to catch that other outlaw, or... something else.  
  
>Send Outlaw with Anan  
>Travel to Tallspire personally

* * *

  * If we have her take the Ghastly, we can go after that Morgrem. If I remember right he was from Tallspire too, so we'll have to bring him there afterwards anyways and getting back to back outlaws will make a much bigger impact for our reputation. See what Gwen thinks though. 
  * Could do both. See if any suspect dungeons are roughly on the way to tallspire. 
  * Go for the second outlaw and hope Ghastly doesn't escape. 



* * *

Hoping for some guidance, you turn to Gwen and ask her.  
  
"If we sent him with h- with Anan, we could go look for t-that Morgrem. Catching m-multiple outlaws back to back would be good for our reputation. Er, right?"  
  
Gwen stands and paces, circling around behind you.  
  
"Yes. Be good. Find before he run too far."  
  
"Now I don't mean to barge in."  
  
Interjecting into the discussion, Anan flaps one of her wings, lightly fanning you to draw your attention back to her.  
  
"That other outlaw fella, he was coming from Tallspire headed this way. Might be you two could run into him on the way."  
  
"If he win, free other. Could trouble."  
  
Gwen shakes her item bag a little, shaking the captured ghost inside.  
  
"Two outlaw together."  
  
"Hey, it's already two on one. Don't go selling yourselves short~"  
  
Amor chimes supportively. Anan pulls on a carry satchel and hops from her perch. She glides smoothly out the exit, before circling around and landing facing inwards from the edge of the cliff outside.  
  
"If you're worried about it, I'm happy to take the little bastard anyhow. No reason we can't both get going to Tallspire."  
  
You decide that sounds like the best idea. Slipping a claw into the item bag, you slide the wooden bottle out. With your magic fingers you don't even disturb any of the other items inside, or spill berries on the floor.  
  
Taking it over to Anan, she opens the flap of her delivery bag for you and you slip it inside. She has letters inside in envelopes, and some small packages you can't make out the markings on. If you wanted to it would be easy to just grab one while you have access.

* * *

  * No way. We can't be burning bridges in our home town. Especially not if we want a chance with these ladies later on. 
  * Those seem personal, and while we are a skeevy type of Pokemon, Gwen as well, we know who we want our friends to be. But... just for fun, since Gwen seems to get a kick out of it as well, give Anan a friendly pat on the wing and thank her sincerely- with those magic fingers on- for her assistance. 



* * *

Resisting the temptation to experiment with your new powers, you set the bottle nestled in with the rest of the mail and step back, allowing her to close it. You reach up and pat her on the wing, sending a rush of your power through your fingers.

Anan's eyes flutter a bit as, to her, it seems like sparks fly naturally. She gives you a little lustful leer and turns to take off again.

"Well good luck on the trail you two. Might just see you on my way back."

She bends down just before she takes off, giving you a brief view of the subtle vent beneath her tail feathers, and then she's off. Gwen comes out behind you, brushing her tail along your back as she passes and giving you a knowing look.

With one last look back at Amor in the trading post, you offer her a wave. She lifts one of her hooves and waggles it up and down, waving you off as you go.

Supplies are packed, berries are stocked, and you feel good. You fall in step behind Gwen, enjoying the view and trusting she knows where she's going as she leads you out of town.

To be continued


	4. Monkey Poaching

  * Ask Gwen if it's wrong to take so much amusement in your magic fingers. I'm curious as to whether she's putting up with our perversions or if she's getting a kick out of it as well. 
  * We'll get Amor one day. Maybe we'll have to find her outside of shop hours.  
Ask Gwen if there are dungeons on the way that our outlaw might be hiding in or if we can expect to find him on the path.
  * More importantly, let's ask Gwen what she thinks of using our magic touch ON the Morgrem bandit. Or on any future (non-Empty) enemies for that matter. 



* * *

For the second time today you follow Gwen up a familiar trail, out from the village and into the grasslands. When she leads you into the tall grass you need to stay close to avoid losing sight of her.   
  
It's a nice excuse to practically lurk under her tail, with her pawpads regularly next to your face.  
  
"Is it wrong t-to mess with people with my magic fingers? It's just r-really fun."  
  
Keeping on forging ahead, Gwen holds her eyes to the front. Every now and then she leans down to sniff at the ground as if looking for scents.  
  
"Not bother. Long as no steal, from good people."  
  
"Okay, g-good. I didn't want to bother you with it."  
  
You slink along, her tail keeping the grasses from bounding back to smack you in the face after she's parted them. Instead they lightly smack against your sides.  
  
"D-do you think this outlaw is hiding in a dungeon too?"  
  
"Many small dungeon. Hidden in grass field. I tell if we close. Smell outside for Morgrem."  
  
So not all dungeons are in caves.  
  
"You can tell if w-we get close to a dungeon?"  
  
Gwen grunts affirmatively, not elaborating on it. You quietly continue following her tail. The sun is high in the sky at its midday apex when the grass starts to thin. At first you marvel that the journey was so fast, but Gwen leads you to the top of a hill, the sharp incline free of the surrounding acres of green.  
  
The two of you have a clear view for far around. You can see other hills, identical humps emerging from the ocean of green at regular intervals, as if put there intentionally. Some have signs on them, but yours' does not.  
  
To your right the field of grass changes, giving way to bright yellows and dark cores of a sunflower field.  
  
Gwen turns her head towards the sunflower field, sniffing the air.  
  
"Flowers is dungeon. We can circle, smell for Morgrem."  
  
Far off on the horizon you can see two different tall buildings. One looks like a stone castle tower, while the other is closer and looks like a windmill.

* * *

  * Ask Gwen if that's the tall spire of Tallspire. 



* * *

"I-is that the tall spire of Tallspire?"  
  
You tap Gwen's shoulder and point towards the stone tower in the distance. She follows your finger and nods.  
  
"That where we go. Other village there."  
  
She extends a paw towards the windmill. It's out of the direct path to Tallspire, but closer to where you are now.  
  
"Should have Guild."  
  
A wind starts to blow and Gwen holds up her head, sniffing the air.  
  
>Gwen Intelligence: Skill (16/8)  
Her head turns away from the sunflower field and her ears twitch. She sniffs again. Then she starts to step down from the steep hill, looking back at you.  
  
"Smell someone. Come."  
  
Without any other leads, you fall into step behind her. Gwen pushes through the grass, following her nose on someone's trail. Abruptly, Gwen bumps into someone else coming in the opposite direction through the grass, pushing her back. Her butt presses back against your face and your vision is obscured by grey fur.  
  
"Lookie who it is."  
  
You ear a chipper voice with an edge of mischief to it. Gwen pulls herself off of you and steps to the side, pushing down some grass in the process. Ahead you can see a smirking Chimchar. She must be the one Gwen bumped into. Gwen is giving her a standoffish look.  
  
"Thought I smell you.".  
  
"If you're out here, you should know why I'm out here."  
  
The simian puts a hand to her chest and looks past Gwen to see you.  
  
"Well, well, well. I didn't know you had company too."  
  
"Too?"  
  
Gwen grunts, tilting her head. The Chimchar steps aside, revealing an Espurr trying to look small and shrink behind her. Upon being revealed, the cat pulls a clump of some grass in front of her for concealment.

* * *

  * Rival bounty hunters turned rival guild co-leaders then? Let's introduce ourself and ask if they're the guild from that windmilll village. 



* * *

You wave to the Espurr, who looks away into the distance and pretends not to have seen you. Chances are you won't get much out of her, so you introduce yourself to the Chimchar instead.

"H-hey there, I'm Murdoch. Do you a- you and Gwen know each other from bounty hunting?"

An apish grin curls across her face.

"Wow, Gwen. Yours' can talk. Not very well, but he can talk. Did you teach him that?"

Gwen growls at her. She turns her head only slightly, keeping the mocking chimp in view and with her ears alert.

"This Spring. She annoying."

"You wound me, Gwen."

Spring leans back, scrunching up her face in mock offense.

"Am about to."

"A quick tussle? I'm game."

Hopping a few feet backwards, Spring bounces from the ball of one foot to the other, making mock boxing motions at Gwen. Gwen squares off, bracing her legs and preparing for a lung.

Their standoff is interrupted by a buzzing noise. A tiny Cutiefly zips into the patch of grass, spinning around and landing on the Espurr's head. His voice is tiny, but exuberant.

"I found him! The fugitive went running into the flowers when he saw me!"

Flickering from playful to frustrated, Spring shoots a sharp eyed look at the fly and bares her surprisingly sharp-looking fangs.

"Good going rookie. You just told the competition where to go."

Shifting gears back into a wily pout, she regards you and Gwen.

"But since the game's evened up now, how about we do something more interesting than a little tussle. After all, we tucker each other out and that thief could get away."

Gwen stares her down, slowly shifting back into a less aggressive, but guarded stance. She snorts and twitches her head, urging her rival to spit it out. Spring nods and her grin returns.

"You and me go after the troublesome little imp together, Gwen. Just the two of us. And whoever can deal the knockout blow gets to have the other's partner as a slave for a day. What do you say?"

The monkey strides forwards and reaches out, pulling her arm back when Gwen snaps at it.

"Tsk, tsk. Bad girl, Gwen, that's not how you shake a paw."

"You can't just bet Larissa like that!"

The Cutiefly protests from atop the Espurr's head. Her eyes are pointed down to the ground at her feet. Spring looks back at them with a sneer.

"Oh sorry. I was under the impression little miss wet noodle wanted help winning the Guild Contest. Or has that changed? I can turn around and go home."

The Espurr finally speaks, clearing her throat and nearly whispering.

"No... don't go. I... want to win. I'll do it..."

Gwen looks back at you uncertainly. You can tell by her face that she really wants to show up this snide monkey.

"Up to you. You, one at stake." 

* * *

  * Absolutely, let's do it. Tell her we have full confidence in her. Before they go off we need to get Gwen out of earshot to strategize. The win condition is scoring the knockout blow, so instead of taking turns attacking, she can let Spring soften him up while she howl's herself into a frenzy and then try to take him out in one big hit. Also remind her that Morgrem is basically immune to her bite attack. 
  * Win or lose we get information on an enemy guild. Whisper into Gwen's ear what spanking the monkey means so she'll get our joke later.

What are the other guild members supposed to do while this is going on? I don't suppose anyone brought cards. May as well give Larissa the proper Murdoch greeting while we try to figure out who her patron is. 

  * I was never much of a fan of Chimchar (Cyndaquil is superior fire starter!) This girl needs her clock cleaned several times. Let's do this 



* * *

You place a claw on Gwen's shoulder and gently tug her away to the side.  
  
"Absolutely. L-let's do it. But she, er, w-we need a minute to strategize."  
  
"Just don't take too long. If I get bored, I might just go for him myself."  
  
Tapping her foot, Spring stands there watching the two of you through the grass while you lead Gwen out of earshot and whisper to her your plan.  
  
"Okay. If, if all you have to do is be the one to knock him out, you j-just, your Howl move makes it easy to hit him hard right? So you just let her soften him up and then get a big hit. Oh, a-and Morgrem won't be bothered by your Bite move."  
  
Gwen listens carefully to the gameplan. She pulls up the edge of her mouth and nods.  
  
"She try things. I will be ready. Hit fast, hit hard."  
  
With an encouraging scratch behind the ear, you assure her and whisper in the ear.  
  
"I know you will. I have c-complete confidence in you. B-by the way, where I come from, they call m-masturbating spanking the monkey."  
  
Gwen's hear flicks to the side and she gets a confused look. Even so, she gives you a thankful lick with her tongue.  
  
"You strange."   
  
Gwen marches back towards Spring, purposefully. She lifts her head up, trying to appear taller before the bipedal Pokemon.  
  
"We do this. We ready."  
  
"Great. Follow me."  
  
Spring turns and walks away into the grass. Gwen looks back at you with one last nod and follows her.  
  
That leaves you all alone with Larissa and her Cutiefly friend. You awkwardly wave a second time, even though it got no response the first time.  
  
"Hey. Y-you might have missed it, my name's Murdoch."  
  
Larissa looks you in the eye with her big, inexpressive discs, then back at the ground. The bug buzzes over and lands on a stalk of grass next to you, where he doesn't have to shout to be heard. It barely droops under his minuscule weight.

"You heard before but this is Larissa. She isn't very good with people. I'm Michael, her partner. Nice to meet you.

"W-what should we do while they're in there?"

Michael lifts off above the grass and turns, looking around.

"Why don't we go to one of the hills so we can see when they're on the way back?"

The three of you with Michael leading the way go back to the nearby hill where you and Gwen picked up their trail. Larissa takes a seat at the bottom of the hill, pulling up her legs in front of her. Michael lands on top of your head, making it hard to see him.

"Sorry about our... friend. I'm not the best at fighting and Larissa, well."

He looks down at her at the bottom of the hill as if that says it all. 

* * *

  * Ask them where they're from, and inquire about Larissa's muteness. 
  * Not exactly a match made in heaven. Larissa is the human, Spring the original partner, and Michael is a recruited member right? Larissa doesn't seem like the type to sign up for this, and I kind of figured Hoopa was the only one who would force the issue. Maybe we're not the only joke pick? Ask how they met and why they're trying to be bounty hunters if two of them can't fight. 
  * There's not much to do on the hill... Maybe we could follow Gwen and Spring. They didn't say we couldn't, and if we don't interfere everything should be fine. This is just a suggestion, though. 
  * >"Sorry about our... friend. I'm not the best at fighting and Larissa, well."  
Is a precious cinnamon roll, too good for this world. Too pure. The kind of thing Murdoch was born to corrupt. Gwen doesn't talk much and he's not the best fighter either so her situation isn't terribly foreign to him. He's still working out the kinks in the new body too. Speaking of kinks, we still haven't joy buzzed any of these new pokemon.  
There was mention of sunflowers. I know the diet so far has been 100% berries, but if they could harvest and toast sunflower seeds that could be a good icebreaker and time waster. Try to press Micheal for more information about their guild plans. Maybe they haven't realized there are ways to expand the guild that don't include fighting all the time and, if the conversation steers that way, see if he is into Larissa.



* * *

You settle in atop the hill. It actually feels really nice to bask in the sun up here in the open. Even if you aren't coldblooded like dragons this is a great way to relax.  
  
"Let me see if I c-can guess. Larissa is the h-human, Spring is the original p-partner, and you joined them later?"  
  
"Not quite."  
  
Still settled in atop your head, Michael explains their different roles.  
  
"Larissa is the human obviously. But I was the one she got matched up with by..."  
  
He starts to share who their patron is, but stops. Must have realized he's talking to the competition.  
  
"I guess you'll find out eventually. We asked Spring to help us with some things. I tell you, she is a real character."  
  
"Larissa d-doesn't seem to like talking."  
  
"She's not what you'd call a talker, no. As I understand it, she was something called a shut-in back in her world."  
  
Reaching up, you prod Michael in the side with the tip of one of your claws and let the buzz go through. He practically spasms on top of your head.  
  
"Whoa, hey, what did you do?"  
  
You don't answer just yet, shifting the topic away.  
  
"You two realize there are other w-ways to w-win than bounty hunting right?"

After the strange pleasure touch from your claw, Michael buzzes off of your head and lands just out of reach to face you. His little eyes flicker in the light in a variety of shapes.  
  
"There's other things to get famous for, sure. But there's a lot of cultural expectations on Guilds too. Our special cards make us the best ones to rescue people or catch bad guys in Dungeons. Like, ah, the fugitive."  
  
>Murdoch Intelligence: Advantage (9, 19)  
>Michael Charm: Advantage (10, 15)  
It sounded like he was going to say something else before he went to calling the Morgrem just a fugitive.  
  
"And w-what about you an- and Larissa?"  
  
"What about us?"  
  
You make an elbowing motion in his direction since he's too small to do it properly, not to mention wary of your touch. You accentuate with a wink.  
  
"You know. Are you two... y-you know?"  
  
Michael's eyes flutter and then he shakes his head, buzzing his wings for emphasis.  
  
"No, no, nothing like that. She's distant even with me. Besides, I'm really not that into girls."  
  
Sitting and waiting has you a little restless. You take a look towards the sunflower field, wondering if it would be okay to just go get some seeds. Or follow the other two and watch the competition. Spring ever said anything about going alone, just catching the fugitive on their own.  
  
"Is it safe t-to get s-seeds from the sunflowers?"  
  
"We could wind up pulled into the dungeon if we go into the field. I'd rather not if it's all the same for you."  
  
>Go try to get sunflower seeds  
>Follow Gwen and Spring to watch the contest  
>Stay put

* * *

  * Stay put. Gwen can handle the bet herself and entering a dungeon solo would not go well. Ask Michael how their first mission went and how they came to recruit Spring. Guessing they looked for her to make up for their weakness since they're choosing to play against their strengths by being bounty hunters.

It's a shame Gwen doesn't like Spring. I like her and it would have been fun to try and poach her from this guild since she's not too impressed with them. 

  * I love how Spring has very similar mannerisms to Green/Blue/Rival/Gary/whatever in the first gen, is it just me?   
  
Relax, but ask Michael if he knows Spring well enough that if the worst were to happen, just how sadistic of a fate we could be looking at. We know if Gwen wins she's probably just going to demand heavy pets or just ignore the new partner since she seems more in it for the principle. Spring seems more impish.   
  
If she orders us to eat her our or fuck her, the idea of potentially having to NTR Gwen leaves a really, really bad taste in my mouth, even if Gwen agreed to those chances... 
    * We're hardly exclusive with Gwen. If anything Murdoch seems set on a course to be the town slut. We're probably not going to get anything worthwhile out of winning this bet either. Larissa is useless and wouldn't be fun to mess with. Kind of hoping we lose because it will be a lot more fun. 
      * She could give us information on her guild, at the very least. I wonder if she could read minds? If she could I'd suggest making her spy on the other villagers for our (lewd) benefit. Like Bogdan or Amor. 
  * Let's get the sunflower seeds, but also check if there are any usable berries anywhere.

... If we invited Larissa to go sunflower picking with us, she'd probably refuse. Still, it's worth a try.

Don't use the magic touch on Larissa. She won't like it. 

  * Contact Victor and see if he can't patch us into a three way telepathic call with Larissa since she's a psychic type. They're both homebodies so may have stuff in common and Micheal is a bit too guarded at the moment to spill any secrets.  
Falling into the labyrinth while the guild cards are elsewhere sounds like a pain in the ass, so pass. Micheal is into dudes though, eh? Maybe we've found a way to pass the time and get experience points to boot thanks to Hoopla's neck thingy. Just gotta find out what he is into. 
    * We can't start the lewd-time somewhere so public! Larissa could see us if we did that. Plus, the other two could arrive at any moment. Maybe if we were somewhere more private... 
  * Getting pulled into the dungeon without Gwen sounds awful. Stay put and keep talking to Michael. He seems to know something about Morgrem, so maybe we should ask for some details about him? 



* * *

Deciding not to risk getting lost alone in a dungeon, you settle in and try to keep making conversation.  
  
"W-was your first mission just you two, or, h-how did you come to recruit Spring?"  
  
With one of his small legs Michael rubs at a bit of fluff on the side of his head, leaving it sticking up in a cowlick.  
  
"It was actually by accident. The two of us are actually artists, see. We were looking for a good place for Larissa to practice drawing, away from people. We wound up falling into a dungeon."  
  
"So your first dungeon w-w-was totally by accident?"  
  
"Mhm."  
  
Michael nods. He notices the tuft of fluff sticking up and smooths it out.  
  
"That's where we met Spring. She was in the middle of tracking down an outlaw. In the end she agreed to be our guard while we travel in exchange for Guild support with her bounties and rescues. We can't win the contest if we're stuck in just one village."  
  
Spring sounds like she'd be a very demanding mistress even for just a day. At the same time, she does rescues too, maybe she's not that bad?  
  
"D-do you know Spring very well? If, well, if we lose how sad- sadistic a fate can I expect?"  
  
"She seemed to really have it in for your partner. Are you two an item?"  
  
The question puts you off guard. Things got steamy with Gwen, but does she think it's an exclusive thing? You've been with Victor too.  
  
"I- I'm not sure."  
  
"Well, I don't know her well. But I know mean girls like her. She probably thinks you're a way to get at ah, actually I'm not sure I caught your partner's name?"  
  
"Gwen."  
  
Thinking about Victor gets you an idea. Maybe you would have better luck talking to Larissa telepathically instead of face to face.  
  
Laying your head down on your claws and closing your eyes, you picture Victor in your mind's eye. You can feel the image become clearer.

~Mur...doch? Murdoch c...n you hear me?~  
  
Victor's voice fades in as if from far away and getting closer. You try to think back at him. Uncertainty bleeds into your train of thought, making you stutter even in your mind.  
  
~I t-think so.~  
  
It's strange. You feel a presence closeby, but when you reach out a claw nobody is there. You might look ridiculous to Michael reaching out at nothing so you disguise it as a stretch.  
  
~Are you in trouble? You don't feel panicked. In fact you feel... Horny. Are you always horny?~  
  
Waves of playfulness wash over your consciousness. Sparks of happiness dance across the thoughtscape. Victor is happy to hear from you.  
  
~M-may- er- kinda yeah.~  
  
You can almost hear his squeaking giggle from back at the village.  
  
~That answers one question. Do you need me to look something up?~  
  
Opening one eye, you peer down over the ledge at Larissa. To your surprise she was looking up at you from behind her ear, but quickly turns away to hide her eye.  
  
~The- there's another psychic here. She's v-very shy. Is it possible to do a t-threeway- er, that is, t-telepathically. Talking.~  
  
A momentary pause.  
  
~I can feel a presence near you. She seems potent. If you were able to establish skin contact, I could reach her through you.~

* * *

  * Oh damn, rocky waters. Very politely let Larissa know you have a Psychic friend that would like to meet her if she'd be okay with establishing contact by a handshake. Make sure it's clear, even though it already should be, that the rivalry between Gwen and Spring is just between them and you have no ill wishes against any of them.

Don't use the magic fingers on her either. It's fine to be tempted to, but we've been a bit too mischievous lately. It's gonna burn us eventually if we keep finger-banging everyone we meet, so to speak. 

  * If physical contact is needed, just forget about it. She won't even sit on the same hill as us. While we have Victor on the line, let's update him on the bet. 
  * How long a contact do we need? If it's just a simple touch we can quickly smack Michael and start a game of tag so it doesn't look insane when we run to grab her. Alternatively, show off our cool new wounds and invite them to prod a bit. 
    * I think that probably would look insane. Just approaching her honestly would be much more sensible than forcing your mind-bat into other peoples heads by grabbing them. 
      * Insane or not, handshaking seems impossible. Best we can hope for is turning around and not looking her way so bright eyes can grab his tail. 
  * We should ask Michael if Larissa is OK with physical contact before doing anything. 



* * *

It sounds like trying to touch Larissa without per permission would just cause trouble. You try to think of some ways you could trick your way into it, but none of them seem any better.  
  
~T-that might no be easy, Victor.~  
  
While he is on the line you might as well tell him about the bet.  
  
~By the way, Gwen an- and I made a b-bet with a rival Guild. She went to c-catch the outlaw with another b-bounty hunter and, whoever wins gets the other's human as a s-slave for a day.~  
  
Victor's flush can be felt through the connection.  
  
~And what sort of slave might they be meaning? Is the other bounty hunter cute?~  
  
~W-well I don't really know. B-but she's a Chimchar and she's k-kind of an ass. I think she and Gwen hate each other.~  
  
The bat boy's excitement deflates at the news.  
  
~Then I do hope she doesn't force you to do anything too humiliating.~  
  
Still thinking of how to get Victor connected with Larissa, you settle on trying the honest approach. You crawl over to the side of the hill and look over the edge where she is sitting, still avoiding your gaze.  
  
"H-hey Larissa. I have a friend with t-telepathy who you might like to talk to. He likes b-books and indoors."  
  
She doesn't respond at all, not even looking your way. The lack of any sort of feedback is discouraging, but you keep trying.  
  
"He uh, he says we just need s- t- a bit of contact to make the connection."  
  
Again, more silence from Larissa. Michael marches over from where he was waiting and prods you in the side of the leg.  
  
"You'd better not try whatever that was you did with me. I might not be very big, but I can still bite you."  
  
You look back and wave him off.  
  
"It d-doesn't need to be me. I could just, I d-don't know. Hide in the grass and she can poke my t-tail?"  
  
Again you turn to look at Larissa. She's moved from the last time you saw her, playing with her paws in her lap.

At getting some kind of reaction, you wait to see what she does. Larissa peeks up from behind her ear and then quickly looks away. Her voice is wispy and quiet.  
  
"Okay..."  
  
That sounds like all you're going to get. Michael is still watching you suspiciously, protective of his shy companion. Taking care not to tumble down the hill and right into her, you slide down a ways away and circle in the grass. Her eyes are downcast.  
  
Turning around, you back up so that just your tail is poking out of the grass and the rest of you is hidden. You have to sit there for another minute before Larissa works up the courage to reach out and prod you with a toe.  
  
>Victor Will: Advantage (19, 15/10)  
You can feel Victor straining and it's a little bit like someone stretching to reach past you at a table. A connection opens and you are bombarded with a flood of fear and uncertainty. Larissa's presence in the mindscape is both massive and radiating her insecurities.  
  
>Murdoch Will: (13/10)  
>Victor Will: Advantage (6, 18/10)  
With a struggle you are able to regain enough composure not to spaz out in your real body and yank away by accident. Victor has to practically shout to be heard over her interference.  
  
~This... very... calm down...~  
  
>Larissa Will: Disadvantage (16, 10/10)  
Struggling to get a hold of herself, Larissa pulls inwards. The psychic equivalent to balling up behind her knees. The static and waves of anxiety washing over you die down to a background hum of discomfort.  
  
~I... I'm sorry. I should just go.~  
  
Her mental voice is muffled and held back.

* * *

  * Let Victor reassure her, he's much better at that sort of thing.
  * Insist it's perfectly fine, that you never tried being a conduit before, that it's a good learning experience while Victor works out the kinks and soothes her.

This seems to go a fair bit beyond typical frayed nerves like Murdoch dealt with. Hopefully Spring hadn't raped her or something too traumatizing. 

  * No, that was fine. Everything about being a psychic type is new to you and all. We can talk about anything you like and no one outside the call can hear you. Let Victor explain since he knows more about it.  
Try hard not to think about sex right now. 
  * Wouldn't it be more... interesting, to see what would happen if we DID think about sex? 



* * *

You hang back the best you can and let Victor have the first word. Your bat boy starts to come through clearly again.  
  
~Not a worry at all, everyone is fine. My name is Victor, a friend of Murdoch.~  
  
Larissa's hesitance fizzes and vibrates in the air. She peers out from a mental fortress of solitude.   
  
~L... Larissa.~  
  
~I-I've never been a conduit before.~  
  
Trying to create a sensation of nervous laughter, you disarm Larissa's fear with some of your own insecurity. Surely if she sees you're just as nervous it will help. Hopefully nothing terrible happened to her...  
  
As if she could sense where your train of thought was going, she interrupts.  
  
~It's... nothing like that. Nothing... I just... don't do well around people.~  
  
Victor keeps a respectable mental distance, not getting too close or intimate and keeping his background thoughts reined in. You have a tougher time, as your natural libido starts to tinge your thoughts with lewdness.  
  
~You must be new to this as well?~  
  
Victor asks her. Larissa's shell wobbles as she tries to non-verbally nod behind it.  
  
~Then you are doing just fine for a first time. There is no one besides us here, so it's safe to say anything you want to us.~  
  
She quivers and a blush creeps into her image. She's noticed your growing horniness, and maybe even your growing erection. Someone holding onto your tail makes you anticipate them pulling it up and...  
  
~Wow... you... are really shameless.~  
  
To your surprise her mental voice does not sound disgusted. Instead, she seems intrigued.  
  
~Aren't you... aren't you afraid for others to... judge you?~

* * *

  * Respond flustered—this wasn’t the intent. Ask Victor (and Larissa by extension) just how much Telepathy broadcasts these ‘feelings’. We’ll want to be ready for it in events like this in the future...

As for her inquiry, admit that it’s been an unusually steamy few days and it has you on edge, ask if it offends her to be on the safe side. 

  * Shame is what you feel when you when you fail to meet the expectations of people around you. This is a new world with none of those old expectations, so we have a chance to set our own with our actions. So far, it's been freeing to act on repressed thoughts and feelings. If she's been reserved like this because she's afraid of being judged she should let it go because the pokemon here have been quite open minded and even encouraged our antics so far. 



* * *

Immediately, your thoughts are filled by a flustered stutter.  
  
~I- I mean, I d-didn't... that isn't w-what I... is it really that easy to b-broadcast these th... things over Telepathy?~  
  
Victor's presence wraps a soothing closeness around you. His consoling rubbing only makes you feel more randy.  
  
~Not normally. I for one would never have known if I did not know you already.~  
  
>Murdoch Intelligence: Advantage (7, 11/10)  
So it's just Larissa who's very attentive to these things. Either she is naturally very good with her powers, making her the opposite of you, or she got a gift from her patron. Maybe both.  
  
~I- I'm sorry. Am I m-making you uncomfortable?~  
  
She doesn't respond at first and seems to be thinking. Though you notice after asking that to the contrary, Larissa's presence feels less closed off and her radiating aura of fear has become milder  
  
~Y-you know, shame is from failing to m-meet the expectations of other people. B-but the expectations here are so different. As Guildm-masters we even have the chance t-to set expectations ourselves.~  
  
Seeing as being open by accident has made her more comfortable, you decide to be more open on purpose. You let it all hang out, mentally.  
  
~I-if you're afraid of being judged, you don't need to f- to feel that way around me. And l-lots of Pokemon have been very o- open minded with my er, antics.~  
  
>Murdoch Charm: (10/10)  
Finally, Larissa starts to ease a little bit more out of her psychic shell, letting herself be heard above a whisper.  
  
~I... I never thought of it... like that. I actually... I'm an artist. Michael is too... I thought we would get along... but I've been too nervous to... talk to him about my art.~  
  
She opens up a little, sharing a small detail of herself.

* * *

  * Encourage her to be open with her partner. Once she takes the first step it will become a lot easier to be open about things with others. 
  * Mention that Michael seems eccentric but friendly enough, it's good to have something in common with your "partner", heck, the closest Gwen and we have is an enjoyment at using tingle fingers on strangers. Maybe don't tell her that last part.

It's a bit strange that she was able to open up more once she realized we're an easily stimulated horndog. I don't know if indulging that or trying to mask it with casual conversation is wiser. I feel Victor is likely to make that decision for us anyways.

The idea of being mentally coaxed to the edge by Victor in front of a new face like this, trapped as a mental conduit with no way to mask or hide it is pretty... 




* * *

~Being open w-with your partner is important. T-they'll be there to help when you have to d-deal with others.~  
  
You know she heard how protective Michael is already. They have a lot in common, both being artists and a little odd.  
  
~Do... do you have much in common with your partner?~  
  
Larissa's question makes you laugh a little when you think about it. Nobody could be more opposite than you and Gwen.  
  
~N-no. Not at all. She- she's really strong and b-badass. I'm just a r-really horny baker-~  
  
You accidentally cut yourself off with an involuntary moaning whimper. Victor at first doesn't seem to have noticed his closeness is causing you to get even closer to the edge. Now it's pretty obvious and he quickly gives you some space so as not to embarrass you.  
  
Larissa makes a small sound that you aren't sure is in the real world or in the mental connection. All you can see with your real eyes is grass. Is she giggling?  
  
~You two are... pretty cute together. Is he your... boyfriend?~  
  
It's Victor's turn to get flustered now as he tries to formulate a response. You can practically feel him twiddling his wingtips together nervously.  
  
~Ah, I don't know if we're really. Like that. ... Yet?~  
  
~Don't worry... I won't judge you.~  
  
Her attitude opens up a little more and she echoes your own sentiment back at you.  
  
~I um... I heard you talking with Michael. I um... I draw lots of kinds of lewd things... not the sort of art I felt... comfortable making for our Guild. That's why... I tried to do the dungeon thing.~

* * *

  * Tell her that if she really wants to win the competition, it would be best to play to her strengths instead of against them like this. Not to mention, art can't have advanced very far in this world given the timeline. Almost any techniques she brings with her will be revolutionary here. Building a successful artisan's guild could go a long way to earning the fame needed for the competition. 



* * *

~If you really w-want to win, you should p-play to your strengths.~

You try your best to sound inspiring in spite of your stutter. Larissa feels apprehensive, but optimistic for the first time since you entered this connection.

~I... are you sure no one will... make fun of us?~

~I w-won't. I bet a successful ar- artisan's Guild would do better to w-win than a m-mediocre bounty hunting Guild.~

Victor chimes in to help you deliver the point.

~Murdoch here is hoping to start using his baking skills. He just needs the materials to get started, like an oven.~

Thoughtfully, Larissa turns it over in her head. You can almost see her physically turning the idea over and over in her paws.

~Okay... if we can get art supplies... I'll try.~

"Are you two doing okay down there? You've both been quiet for a while."

Michael's voice comes from up on the hill, pulling you away from immersion in the mindscape.

"We... we... okay."

Larissa's voice is still quiet and reserved in her real body, but she manages to get out two words without being forced. Buzzing down, Michael lands on the hill just above her head.

"You sound more relaxed. Did things go well?" 

* * *

  * Let her explain for herself if she can. If not, just say that we encouraged her to focus the guild around their artistic talents. Tell them that if they do decide to go in that direction they'll have to do something about Spring. She doesn't seem the type to take up art even setting aside how poorly she treats Larissa.

We'll have to feel out how much Gwen dislikes Spring, but I wouldn't mind recruiting her if we can get them to kick her out or her to quit. A rough teammate like that would be fun and useful on missions. 

    * We could really use someone more aggressive towards Murdoch. 
  * See if there's any sign of the other two returning yet.



* * *

You can almost sense Larissa's gaze turning to you. Maybe you do sense it, through the Telepathic connection, even if you aren't immersed in it right now. Wanting her to have to speak for herself, you keep yourself hidden in the bushes.

"I... it went well. Me... and Murdoch... have some things in common."

Hoping to give her some encouragement, you focus again and reach her with your thoughts.

~R-remember to tell him about your art. T- t- partners should be t-truthful.~

At your urging, Larissa lets go of your tail. The connection breaks off leaving only Victor's presence nearby in your mind and you can hear her repositioning in the grass. Turning around to peek out of the grass, she's playing with one of her ears, tugging at it while forcing herself to make eye contact with Michael.

"I want... I want to do art... maybe find other artists?"

"Didn't you say you were too embarrassed to put it out there? Not to discourage you. I just want to make sure this is your decision."

Michael looks at you, almost accusingly. You just shrug and grin, perhaps looking a little to smug. It just comes naturally to your species.

"W-why are you upset I gave my c-c-competition good advice?"

"No... it's my choice."

Larissa speaks up for herself, albeit quietly and with a lot of hesitation.

"It's... it's a new world. I can't... judge myself because of what people from... from the old world would think."

Michael's worry is wiped away and he gets a smile in his eyes.

"That's great to hear, Larissa! We can finally get rid of that awful monkey."

"I... she's not so bad."

Larissa rubs her arm.

"I don't... think she'd care much about art."

Speak of the devil and she shall appear. There's a shuffling from the grass in the direction of the sunflower field. You climb up onto the hillside with your gripping lizard claws just in time to see Gwen and Spring emerge from the grass.  
  
Spring is crossing her arms and looking off to the side, while Gwen leads a Morgrem by a leash that's attached to his bound hands rather than a collar. The gangly imp has a black eye and a few bruises. Gwen's tail is happily wagging back and forth, slapping him in the face repeatedly, which she doesn't seem bothered by.  
  
"We won!"  
  
Gwen drops the leash and presses a paw down on it to keep her quarry from running, but he doesn't seem to have the spirit to try. You can't blame him, you wouldn't want to have to outrun Gwen in your best condition.  
  
"Yeah yeah, lap it up while you can. I'll get you next time."  
  
Spring looks over her shoulder at Gwen with a pout.  
  
"I guess... that means I'm your slave for a day..."  
  
Larissa turns her head and looks at you. Spring's brow raises in surprise at her offering the concession herself. Buzzing into the air near Larissa, Michael tries to advise her.  
  
"You realize you don't actually have to do it if you really don't want to."  
  
Larissa nods.  
  
"It's... okay. Murdoch seems... okay."  
  
"Look at that, a rousing review from the quiet girl. What kind of magic did you work while we were away?"  
  
Spring looks at you out of the corner of her eye, with a smirk of intrigue.  
  
Michael clears his throat and speaks up to be heard.  
  
"Now, it's getting late and Tallspire is a little far. Why don't we go to the Windmill Village instead and rest up?"

* * *

  * Windmill Village sounds like a good idea. Remind Larissa that she's actually Gwen's for the day. The only thing we really need from her is information about her patron and any abilities they gave her anyways. On the trip to town, congratulate Gwen and ask her and Spring how the dungeon went. 
  * Should we use the tinglefingers on Spring? We haven't done it yet. Ask her what she thinks of art, too. Try to get her interested or something, I think. 
  * We should travel together for sure, I strongly doubt we need to even say it since Gwen seems to have a good heart, but maybe whisper to be gentle with Larissa, she's... acquainting herself.

Talk it up with Spring, she seems to be an open book and for all our sexual failings, we seem good at getting along with people. Gwen may take annoyance with it, make sure to avoid touchy topics like their rivalry, just small talk. Try to get a handshake for no hard feelings between guilds and activate the fingers on her. I want to see how she takes it.

If it's embarrassing, Gwen'll appreciate that extra cherry on her victory sundae. 




* * *

You start to go along the way to the windmills, climbing down from on the hill.  
  
"Actually, Gwen is your m-master. Though I- I h-have some questions."  
  
Gwen strides up. She comes close to brushing up against Larissa, but doesn't force any contact.  
  
"Answer."  
  
She walks past and up to you, who she does brush up against. She runs her belly over your back and head as she walks above you, and her tail swishes across you behind her.  
  
"Mine is yours."  
  
Gwen's stride over you leads her to the front of the pack, where the feels most at home. Larissa and her team fall in behind you with Michael buzzing above the tops of the tall grass.  
  
You fall back a little bit to speak to Larissa.   
  
"S-so I was saying, I had some questions. Like, w-who is your patron? Did you get some sp-special power?"  
  
Larissa walks along with her eyes downcast, as before. Crawling on all fours, you can look up at her face from below. She quietly answers.  
  
"My... patron?"  
  
"Th-the one who picked you,"  
  
"Oh... right... she was very floaty. With these... pink things on her head."  
  
>Murdoch Intelligence: Advantage (8, 16/10)  
That sounds like depictions of Mesprit. A legendary Pokemon of emotions.  
  
"I... I don't... read people very well. So... I chose... she gave me her Empathy."  
  
So that's how she was reading you so easily. Maybe that even explains her powerful psychic presence.  
  
"What are you two whispering about down there?"  
  
Spring comes up on your other side, taking long confident strides.  
  
"Oh, j-just Guildmaster stuff. Say uh, h-how do you like art?"  
  
The fiery monkey rolls her eyes. She waves her arm without much care.  
  
"Michael get you to ask? Don't care much for art. Can't make it and it doesn't do me any good."  
  
"It's... got uses for some people."  
  
Larissa murmurs. Spring leans in cocking her head to listen closer. She makes a big animated shrug.  
  
"If you say so. I'll believe it when I see it."

You try getting up on two feet to stand shoulder to shoulder with Spring. You awkwardly reach out a claw to her while you waddle.

"W-well, I hope there are no hard feelings b-between Guilds."

"Yeah sure. Don't expect me to lose next time, Murdoch."

She places her paw in your claw and you turn on the tingle fingers. Spring nearly stumbles and staggers as her knees shake and she gasps.

Gwen's ear flicks and she looks back over her shoulder. You can hear her familiar chuckle.

"What in the world was that?"

Spring pulls away from your claw, shaking out her hand. She clears her throat and carefully falls back into step. You drop back down onto all fours more by accident than on purpose. 

* * *

  * >full tummy to crotch press over us as she walks past   
God that's hot ownership. Gwen best Poochyena
  * "Sorry, I'm told I have a magic touch." 
  * Sex fingers are the best power. At least until we find someone without much willpower and they just rape us. For now just travel to Windmill, I don't think we'll convince Spring of anything, and it seems like an issue between those three to sort out the specific details.

Keep a vague eye on Michael and Spring. Sex fingers have me wondering, it seems to give a jolt of arousal, but I wonder if it has longer lasting effects. Like if Spring's breathing gets any heavier or if she seems to walk with her thighs a bit tighter than usual. We could potentially use this to help give Gwen a really, really lengthy, nice night after a long dungeon trip one day- she'd appreciate it. 

  * Ask for details about the village. For example, where exactly in Windmill are we going to rest?  
  
Let's ask Gwen what she plans to do with Larissa. We only have her Empathy ability for a day, so we should use it the best we can.  
  
Oh, and it's finally time to use the "spanking the monkey" joke!



* * *

"Sorry I'm t-told I have a magic touch. It's really good for s-spanking the monkey."  
  
You wink and wiggle one of your claws, paying close attention to Spring's body language. She folds the paw you touched under her other arm, clicking her tongue.  
  
"Tch. Some Salandit thing I bet. Dumb slut lizards."  
  
You push ahead back near Gwen at the front of the pack, following on her heel. Every now and then you shoot a look back at Spring, who is watching you and holds your gaze. It's hard to tell how heavy she's breathing, but she's walking a little tighter now.  
  
"C-congratulations Gwen."  
  
Your partner looks back at you and smiles, a warm expression even with her fearsome teeth.  
  
"Thank. You strategy help. Let Spring pummel, then jump on."  
  
On her opposite heel, the Morgrem the two of them captured is walking quietly and keeping his head down. Where did Gwen get the leash around his hands? It must be Spring's.  
  
"D-do you have any plans for Larissa?"  
  
Her eyes turned back forwards, Gwen swishes her tail back and forth and thumps against the grass on either side.  
  
"Not know. Just beat Spring, enough reward. If you want help, question, you do."  
  
You nod along, thinking of ways you could make use of her Empathy power.  
  
"How did it go in the d-dungeon?"  
  
"Easy. Some grass, some bug. Let Spring fight bug."  
  
Gwen shivers a little down her spine and you see the fur on her tail bristle a little.  
  
"No like bug."  
  
The conversation turning to bugs, you look up at Michael flitting around in the air. He's so small and fast it's even harder to tell if your fingers left him with any lingering arousal.  
  
"Hey Mi-mi- hey Michael."  
  
You call up to him and he buzzes down closer to talk to you. At a normal conversational volume it's hard to hear him over his own wings.  
  
"Do you need something?"  
  
"Y-yeah. What's the village like? W-where are we going to rest?"

"There are a lot of windmills. I'm sure you gathered that much already. Once we get closer we'll see some of the wheat fields. One of the first Guilds built the place around making flour and bread."

With him up closer, it still doesn't help see if he's any hornier than he was. What would his bug dick even look like? It must be extremely small.

"They have a special hall set up for the Guild that starts there whenever the competition happens. There are only three of us, there's room for you to stay the night."

Footsteps and rustling grass accompany Spring picking up her pace to walk next to you, on the other side from Gwen and the Morgrem.

"Oh yeah. It's a nice place. I'm sure you know all about that, right? Your village gave you a little spot to call home?"

Gwen growls at her.

"He stay with me."

Spring puts a paw to her mouth.

"Oh that's right. Gwen lives in the smallest, most out of the way village there is. Do you even have two beds between you?"

"He stay. With me."

Gwen repeats, more pointedly and forcefully. She looks back and stares Spring down, the two of them practically flying sparks between them.

"Does he now?"

  * Spring's eyes shoot down at you in a leer, looking you over.



"I'll keep that in mind."

* * *

  * Spring seems to have an interest. I do like spunky girls... But Gwen is good by us, we should be wary of what we eat, despite what Larissa claims, I don’t believe Spring is above date raping us.   
  
>actually mentioned “spanking the monkey”  
I feel like her reaction was less confused arousal and more that it’s an extremely racist expression with Chimchar. 
    * I really don't think she would feel the need to resort to rape. We agreed to a slave-for-a-day bet with her without any hesitation and also used our good-touch fingers on her already. She may not realize just how bad it is yet, but she must know Murdoch is at least pretty easy by now. 
  * Ask how Gwen and Spring know each other and why they don't get along. It seems like two badass bounty hunters should have a lot in common. 
    * Just imagine those two sorting out their differences, getting along and using their newfound friendship to dominate Murdoch. I mean, just look at the bounty. He is all bounded up, wearing a leash and who knows just how much those two stepped on him in the mystery dungeon. Lucky bastard. 
      * >sorting out their differences  
Hopefully. We'll need them to get along if we're going to poach Spring from the other guild. Even though Gwen is pretty dommy, she's just not sex-brained enough to really push things on her own. Having Spring around might add a more competitive side to it.
  * >flour and bread  
This information can help our baking career. Let's get this bread... See if there's a bakery or something in the village, maybe...  
  
But first, try... to calm the girls down, maybe? Before things get too heated. 
    * Right. Secure grain first. Then create the ultimate resort and casino.
  * Spring has a certain energy that could make her a great model, provided she can sit patient long enough for Larissa to paint her. Surely after having her portrait done she'll have a different opinion about art. Speaking of, having a lewd as hell painting of Gwen in the hut would be awesome and I can't think of a better way to use a day of forced servitude.  
  
>Gwen lives in the smallest, most out of the way village there is.  
Remote, yet still reasonably close to a big city. Maybe we can turn this remoteness into an advantage and make a premium vacation spot. Hot springs and fine eats sounds like enough of a draw to me. Given a bit of effort we could build a proper inn for pokemon to stay at instead of huts and cliff carved homes. Could even put Murdoch's magic touch to use as the best damn massage in the world and charge out the ass for it.



* * *

Sensing a rising tension between the two girls, you try to ease things out. Not least of all because you are right between them.

"So, h-how come do you don't like each other? Seems like t-two badass b-bounty hunters should have a lot in common."

Spring places one hand on a hip and juts it out.

"I am pretty badass aren't I? Not sure I can say the same about Gwen, she gets carried along by her home field advantage. It makes her head get big."

A heavy, aggressive rumble grows in Gwen's throat. Not so different from the pleased one you are more familiar with, but you can definitely sense a different energy to it.

"Used to work, two of us. She not do job. So stop."

"More like I didn't let the rules get in the way of doing what's right."

Breaking her staredown with Gwen, Spring looks away. She runs her hand up and down her side, scratching at a few old scars.

"Let bounty go."

"She didn't do it, Gwen. I know it."

Visibly frustrated, Gwen's pace has sped up, as she begins to pull ahead of the rest. The Morgrem stumbles forwards and has to practically jog to keep pace with his leash.

"Not know. Us, not decide. We catch, is job."

Spring breathes out through her teeth in a hiss of air. She uses the opportunity to get in the last word to you.

"Gwen decided because of that, I wasn't good at my job. Fine by me. I'll prove her wrong."

Then, before the inciting incident can be explored further, the grass breaks. Together they enter a field where the grass is trimmed shorter and there are some simple wooden fences. Gwen has to change course to go around.

Inside of the fences is a field of golden yellow grain, and past the tops you can see the village's namesake windmills. You count at least three big ones, but you can see one or two small ones out here in the fields.

While the group goes around the field, you can see some Scyther using their natural scythes to slice down the wheat and gather it into wagons to bring in.

On the same side of the village as you remember seeing Tallspire in the distance, you reach a cobblestone road. It leads away from the village towards the tower you saw in the distance back on the hills. On the other side of the road from the fields the land falls away into an expanse of water you can't see the other side of.

Michael buzzes up to the front of the group to show Gwen across a short bridge and along the way to the Guild hall. The town is full of windmills large and small, and brick and wood houses. Pokemon of all sorts are working or going about their day.

A Scyther is pulling a wagon of grain towards the big windmill.

A Roserade is outside of one of the houses tending to a garden of homegrown berries and vegetables.

There is a Bibarel in a cleared out work yard, chewing down logs of timber to shape them into planks. A Machop is dragging another full log in to the yard.

Down towards the water you spot a pier with a few boats resting at it, and a Garchomp barking orders to other Pokemon.

Michael stops by landing on the doorframe of a larger building. It's got some fancy colors and paint jobs on it that must be leftover from the previous Guild to use it.

"This is it. The Windmill Guild Hall."

Larissa comes to the front and fishes out a key to unlock the door and let everybody in. The interior has wooden floors in a small lobby room. Into two other rooms you can see there is a kitchen and dining area and a sleeping area with some cots laid out on the floor. They are not much more than basic mattresses stuffed with something. 

* * *

  * Check out the kitchen and see if there's anything stocked for baking purposes. Also see if there's a good place to keep the Morgrem. 



* * *

Everyone starts to spread out. Larissa pulls a bit of paper and a sketchpad out from behind one of the cots. Michael helps Gwen tie the Morgrem's leash to one of the wooden support beams for the building's structure.

You go into the kitchen to take a look around at the facilities, and Spring follows you in. There's a pantry, some cupboards, a box that feels cold and must be filled with ice, a firepit, and best of all a wood burning oven.

You start rooting through some of the pantries. There is a bag of flour, a couple of boxes of dried berries. The drawers have pans, grills and cutlery, mostly made out of wood or clay apart from a couple metal pieces.

Spring cracks open the icebox and takes out a chilled glass bottle of some blue juice. Using a cork screw from one of the drawers, she pops it open and takes a swig. You can smell a tangy berry scent.

With a satisfied sigh and a smack of her lips, Spring holds up the bottle.

"Cheers. The drinks are mine, want anything to celebrate your team's victory?"

Her tone has shifted from aggressive and cocky to suspiciously nice. 

* * *

  * Alcohol? Sure. Ask for something strong. We're poison resistant now after all. 
  * Comment on the suspicious change in behavior so she knows we know she's up to something but we're going along with it anyways. She's clearly a good person based on Larissa's empathy and the split with Gwen, so we don't have anything serious to worry about. 



* * *

"Is this a-alcohol?"  
  
You ask, sniffing the air. Spring looks at the bottle, swirls the contents around, and gives them a sniff.  
  
"Not last I checked. This is Belue juice. I got some liquor if you want some."  
  
She bends over the box, her hips wiggling back and forth in the air. The little stump of her tail gives off a plume of flame that lights up the room in shades of red, and you can see her goods just beneath.  
  
"M- uh, d- do you have anything strong?"  
  
"Hard drinker? Never took you for one."  
  
She comes back up with another bottle, this one filled with a burgundy liquid. Putting her bottle aside she takes the cork screw to the new one and twists it in, then pops the thing open.  
  
The strong smell immediately hits the air. It's sweet and very alcoholic, with a hint of something else with a kick. Spring sniffs the bottle and makes a surprised noise, fluttering her eyes.  
  
"Oh yeah. That's strong stuff. Knock yourself out."  
  
The bottle is set down in front of you. The smell alone nearly makes your eyes cross.  
  
>Murdoch Intelligence: Advantage (9, 18/10)  
You recognize the smell of Pomeg even beneath the powerful alcoholic scent. Hoping that being a Poison Pokemon helps you hold your liquor better than you used to, you carefully tilt the bottle to take a sip.  
  
>Murdoch Fitness: Typing, Strong Liquor (17/12)  
It hits your tongue with a powerful burning sensation mixed with sweetness and a spicy aftertaste that makes your tongue and throat tingle. You manage not to cough or choke on the first sip and tilt it back up, licking your face.  
  
"H- whoa. H-hey, why the sudden at- attitude change?"  
  
"Oh you know."  
  
Spring picks up her bottle again. Neither of the bottles is very large, but her simian hands carry it a lot more easily. You have to get up on two legs to get a true grip on yours'.  
  
"You aren't the only one who likes feeling up the competition."

She saunters back into the other room. You carefully follow with your bottle before the alcohol really hits and you start to have trouble walking.  
  
The Morgrem is sitting in the corner on his side, both his legs and arm tangled up in the leash now. He doesn't look comfortable at all and has his eyes screwed shut.  
  
>Murdoch Intelligence: Advantage (8, 2/10)  
Nothing seems out of place. You follow Spring into the bunk room where she takes a seat on one of the mattresses. There are seven of them, more than enough for everyone.  
  
Gwen is lying across a mattress across from Larissa, who is sketching on a piece of paper up against a wooden plate in her lap. It looks like Gwen had a similar idea for what to get Larissa to do after she saw Larissa drawing.  
  
Spring lays out on her belly on one of the matts, her flame tail sticking up in the air. Resting on one arm, she watches Larissa sketching Gwen.  
  
"So what, you decided to get a free portrait? Spruce up the hut?"  
  
Gwen doesn't even bother answering her, so Spring shrugs and takes another drink of her juice.

* * *

  * Ask Spring if she had something more serious than a portrait in mind if she had won the bet. 
  * We succeeded at identifying the type of berry but probably failed to recognize the outlaw worked his ropes loose. Oops.

Take a peek at the drawing as we walk by. 

  * Where'd Michael go? 



* * *

You join the others relaxing after the mission, picking out one of the empty beds. From your seat you have a good view of what Larissa's sketching, before she self-consciously shifts away so that nobody can see. It looks like she was just sketching Gwen's face right now, nothing lewd.  
  
"So... S-spring, what exactly did you have in mind if y-you had won the bet?"  
  
"Usual slave things."  
  
Spring rolls over onto her side to face you. Her tail licks at the mattress but to your surprise does not catch.  
  
>Murdoch Intelligence: Advantage, Buzzed (6, 14/12)  
Just one sip of your drink has gotten you buzzed already. You might have bitten off more than you can chew. What were you thinking about again?  
  
Oh, yes. A lot of Fire types with permanent flames have some control over them. Ponyta and Rapidash are the best known, they can even make riders feel no heat at all. Unless they're in heat. You giggle to yourself.  
  
Spring is in the middle of talking when you tune back in.  
  
"... even more fun with those magic fingers of yours'."  
  
She's kicking her foot up and down against the mattress, and stops to take a drink of her drink. You follow suit and do the same. It burns going down, but you don't even almost choke this time. The first sip made it feel much smoother.  
  
"Are you two drunk already?"  
  
Michael asks disapprovingly in his buzzy no fun voice. You almost missed him up there on the wall. Fluttering her eyes, Spring innocently takes another sip of her berry juice.  
  
"Only one of us."  
  
Gwen growls accusingly.  
  
"Why?"  
  
Spring makes an exaggerated shrug with one arm.  
  
"He asked. You want a drink, Gwen?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Good, didn't wanna give you one."  
  
The two look away from each other. Michael sighs.  
  
"We need to have a talk about the outlaw. How drunk are you?"  
  
You look at the bottle thoughtfully. That second sip is hitting you now and, yes, you are feeling tipsy now. It's not a big bottle but even so you haven't had much. You... might need help finishing it.

* * *

  * He escaped, didn't he? Try to pay attention to what Michael is saying. Don't think lewd thoughts. 
  * Tell him we're just tipsy. Poison typing didn't stretch as far as we expected. Definitely don't drink anymore though. Guessing this is that thing he avoided talking about earlier. 
  * We’re intoxicated and the temptation to ask if Spring and Gwen’s old relationship ever got “intimate” is biting. 

For now watch Larissa draw and enjoy the Gwen peep show. Butter up Spring more. “Bad blood or no, you gotta admit she’s hot as hell.” Word it so you’re both leading Spring in and praising Gwen. Be the drunk mediator. 

  * Damn, may have just missed Spring saying something sexy. Use slight of hand to switch our bottles and listen to what Michael wants. Antagonize Spring by asking if she is jealous that Gwen is such a good model. 
  * I love Gwen, but her grudges aren’t ours. We owe her an apology for resting on our laurels but we have no reason to hate Spring. For now get the bad news from Michael. Stop drinking for sure. Give an apology for celebrating prematurely, but keep it vague, don’t defer to any individual just yet. 



* * *

"Sure, j- ust tipsy."  
  
Coming down from on the wall Michael hovers in the doorway.  
  
"Come on, let's talk in the kitchen."  
  
Your body feels lethargic after a day full of walking and a belly slowly sending booze to your brain. You look up at Michael and then down at your mattress.  
  
"Jus. Give m- give me a mite."  
  
Definitely need to call this bottle quits. But what to do with it. Michael buzzes off to wait for you you guess.  
  
A great plan comes to you. A perfect use for the fingers that's not the finger tingle. You snap your claw after three tries to get Spring's attention and you nod your head towards Gwen.  
  
She follows your gaze towards Gwen's ass, pointing this way so she can avoid facing Spring.  
  
"H- hey, bad. Bad or no blood, she- you got to admit she's hot- hot as hell."  
  
You lay on the drunkenness extra thick on purpose, so that when Spring stares at Gwen's ass you can make your move and she will never expect a thing.  
  
>Murdoch Fitness: Advantage, Tipsy (4, 15)  
>Spring Intelligence: (14)  
Unnaturally fast you slip the bottle out of her hand and the new bottle into it without her noticing. With your thigh wrapped around the bottle you have she won't see the colors changed until it's too late.  
  
Making another click of the tongue that sounds like she knows you're right but doesn't want to say you're right. Spring looks back at you. She makes a brow raise at you hugging the bottle, and takes a swig of hers.  
  
>Spring Fitness: Advantage, Strong Liquor (12, 20/14)  
The look on her face is priceless. Spring doesn't cough or spill any, but she makes a great face at the burning of the alcohol.  
  
"Gwa. How did you do that so fast?"  
  
You are giggling to yourself and taking a drink from her drink without really thinking about that she already drank from it. You make your own funny face when you realize how extremely tart and sour the juice is.

Spring shakes her head and reaches over, slipping the bottle easily out of your drunken claw.  
  
"Gwen, you found yourself a real winner."  
  
She sounds a mix of baffled, impressed and mildly annoyed. Gwen snorts and shoots back.  
  
"I know."  
  
Skittering away in the middle of a giggle fit you come to the kitchen where Michael is waiting. When you come through the lobby room you see the Morgrem is still there on the floor.  
  
>Murdoch Intelligence: Advantage, Tipsy (7, 10/12)  
Nothing out of the ordinary here. Michael is waiting on top of the pantry and watching you. You try to swallow down your giggle fit and say something.  
  
"S-sorry for- for celebrating prematurely. I do- I do a lot of things prematurely."  
  
It comes out of your inebriated mouth before you can stop yourself and you quickly feel heat rushing to your cheeks. You hope you don't have a really obvious blush. Good thing for your black scales.  
  
Michael shakes his head. He flies down and lands on his head, talking quieter so nobody hears.  
  
"You sound more than tipsy. Look, I'll be straight with you."  
  
>Murdoch Will: Tipsy (5/12)  
You think lewd thoughts.  
  
"Thought y-you, you weren't straight. You little... your cute little bug dick."  
  
Michael stops, rendered briefly speechless.  
  
"Okay. I'm starting to think this conversation needs to wait until tomorrow."

* * *

  * I guess it's a good thing we're after Spring and not Michael. Snack on some of those dried berries to try and sober up a little. Hopefully it'll act like bread. Tell him to try explaining now and if it doesn't stick we can try again later. 
  * Wait, no, I can pay attention. I just need something to stay focused on.  
Starts grabbing for pans. Time to start drunk cooking. 
  * We should probably check on the bandit. I wonder if he could be restrained with Sweet Scent? 
  * This is the episode where Murdoch is banned for the beer cabinet forever. 



* * *

Opening up the pantry you take out a few things without even thinking to ask.  
  
"No, no, I- I just need someth- thing to focus on. Let me just make some- something here."  
  
You pick a dried berry out of one of the boxes and absentmindedly bite into it. Michael lands on your head and tries to steer you away from the pantry while you fumble around looking for eggs. No eggs. You wonder if they eat unfertilized Pokemon eggs here.  
  
"Please stop before you start a fire. I realize fire doesn't worry you, but I am a different story."  
  
You pull out a bag of flour and halfway through get a thought to check on the outlaw. You drag the bag behind you to the doorway and peek through.  
  
>Murdoch Intelligence: Advantage, Tipsy (8, 20/14)  
He is curled up with his long limbs and covered his face with his tied up hands. Is he crying?  
  
"Is he c-crying?"  
  
"Come in here."  
  
Forcefully, Michael tugs at your collar to pull you back into the kitchen. He doesn't succeed but you follow his tugs anyways instinctively.  
  
"Mm, that's n-nice."  
  
You stumble into the kitchen and drop the bag of flour halfway back to the pantry, and pick it back up. For reasons you don't really understand you put it back in the pantry. You think somebody told you to.  
  
"Look, I know this guy. I really don't think he's a thief."  
  
Michael speaks right into your ear. His quiet voice tingles like an ASMR recording. You absentmindedly hum and nod, urging him to continue talking.  
  
"He's honestly just a harmless stoner. He wouldn't steal anything, and the wanted poster didn't even list what he's supposed to have stolen. Are you listening?"  
  
"R-rapturously."  
  
"I... want to get to the bottom of this. I just need to know if you and your partner are going to be on board or not?"

* * *

  * "And I w- want to get to you-your bottom. Of this."

I think it's pretty clear Gwen won't agree to that. The reason she and Spring split up was quite similar to this, after all. 

  * We should try to sober up and hear Michael out. In the end though we should still turn the Morgrem. 
  * Tell him Gwen might not be on board. We can probably convince her to let us look into it for a bit, but there's no way she'll let him walk away before we have proof or the bounty is officially rescinded. Ask him if he has any idea about what might be going on and how we could look into it. Also ask if Larissa's empathy thing can be used as a lie detector to get some trustworthy information out of the Morgrem. It would be better if we sobered up before talking to him or Gwen. 
  * If he didn't do anything, won't he just be released or whatever?  
Victor seemed to know the morgrim too. Get it contact to corroborate Micheal's story. 
  * Get Victor to see if he finds the bounty notice weird at all. I don't think we ever actually read the thing. 



* * *

"And I w- want to get to you-your bottom. Of this."  
  
>Murdoch Charm: (13/10)  
The shameless flirting seems to be having some effect, as Michael buzzes restlessly on and off near your ear. Always responsible though he brushes off the idea.  
  
"That's very... flattering. But even if you were sober, I wouldn't want to get into any conflicts of interest with other Guilds."  
  
You make a quiet non-committal noise of confirmation.  
  
"Gwen, m-might not be on board, you know, she- with Spring, the w- the split up."  
  
"I heard that on the way back, yes. I was hoping you could try to talk to her."  
  
At the very least you have the frame of mind to understand doing that right now is a bad idea. You should be sober for this.  
  
"M-maybe. Yeah, tm- tomorrow. Yeah."  
  
Swallowing and clearing your throat, you pack away the things you pulled out of the pantry. You wanted to make something but you need eggs. Without eggs you can't make any good drunk foods like pancakes.  
  
Somewhere in your drunk mind you remember Victor looked a little weird about the Morgrem too. Maybe he knows something.  
  
>Murdoch Will: Tipsy (15/14)  
You lie down on the kitchen floor and curl up, closing your eyes. Michael crawls off of you and onto the floor.  
  
It's harder than normal to focus, but you picture Victor in your mind. His mind comes to you and you feel him make contact. He immediately notices your drunkenness.  
  
~Murdoch, you seem rather scrambled. Celebrating a victory, not drowning a defeat, I hope?~  
  
~Y-for sure, yeah. Y-you were, you seemed to know this Morgrem hey. D-do you know him?~  
  
Victor's mind curls up a little, not like Larissa pulling inside herself but like a face contorting from a bad flavor.  
  
~I do not, not personally. It was the city more than the Morgrem that got my attention. Some bad blood there. It actually got easier to deal with since I joined your Guild, I found. Did something happen?~

* * *

  * Ask if he finds the bounty notice unusual at all and explain Michael's concerns. See if he has any insight into a situation like this. Michael seems like the honest type, not to mention he was hand picked as a guild representative of Mesprit, who is probably a much better judge of character. It's hard to imagine he would be suggesting this is he weren't very confident. 
  * Tell him we think we might have a harmless outlaw and we might want to wait before lugging him away, but we’re worried Gwen will eat us. She already seems to be growing increasingly irritated with us enjoying our new company,

We need to get Gwen drunk. A beast that strong with no inhibitions—she could snap us in half in all the good ways. 

    * If Gwen gets drunk I predict she'll either try to kill Spring or fuck her. 
    * She hasn't acted bothered by us talking to Spring at all. She seemed a suspicious that Spring might be messing with us but fine otherwise. And honestly half of what we've talked to Spring about was her relationship with Gwen. 
  * If the Morgrem is crying, we should get someone to calm him down. 
  * Someone from the city is putting out false bounties perhaps? The question is why or how that would that be happening. What else does Victor know?

The questioning can't start until we can get Larissa and she is currently painting Gwen who likely won't humor an interrogation. There's quite a bit of time until we can get anything done. 

  * This Michael was the same Michael that said "I found him! The fugitive went running into the flowers when he saw me!". But... if they knew each other, would that really have happened? Something is... not right here, I think.

Michael is pretty... trust-able. I just find that detail... odd. Not saying we should doubt him, though. 




* * *

~I-it's just, the b- bounty seems uh. Un, unusual. And there, here, a guy, he says he kn- knows the guy. B-but he ran when he got c-close. I'm not sure w-what to think.~  
  
Listening in quiet, you feel Victor's gears turning as he navigates your poorly laid out thoughts. He begins piecing together an answer, his thoughts dancing around before falling into place.  
  
~If he was so nervous that he ran from this... guy he knows, he may have experienced something traumatic.~  
  
>Murdoch Intelligence: Advantage, Tipsy (10, 13/14)  
Sounds like it might fit how he's crying and such.  
  
That thought makes you think of him crying in the other room. You crack open your eyes, briefly losing a real connection to Victor as your mind struggles to overlay it onto your awake eyes and it just makes you dizzy.  
  
"H- uggh. H-hey, sh- should we, eugh."  
  
The dizziness makes you feel nausea and you screw shut your eyes, bringing back focus. Instead you just try to speak to Michael with your eyes closed.  
  
"H-he was crying. Someone sh-should calm him down."  
  
"Alright. Are you okay?"  
  
You nod, feeling better with your eyes closed. The buzzing of Michael's wings fades away and you return to talking with Victor.  
  
~C-could it be some- someone making fake bounties? Who- or, even why and h-how c-could that happen?~  
  
His mind pales in a sudden spike of fear and you feel a surge of anxiety. It's nothing like how Larissa broadcast her anxiety everywhere like a flood, but you can tell he feels upset.  
  
~It... could be the case.~  
  
He's quiet. Then finally he gives a troubling answer.  
  
~It might be best if you just left this alone. I suggest you let the fugitive go and just pretend you never saw him.~  
  
Even fuddled up with thoughts of booze and drunken hate sex between Spring and Gwen, you can tell Victor's entire attitude changed. He seems afraid.

* * *

  * Tell Victor there's no chance of Gwen letting this guy walk away without exonerating him. Ask him to explain what's going on. If there's some type of corruption in the system wouldn't it be the responsibility of the guilds to address it? 
  * If this is a case of corruption it raises an interesting question about guild authority. On one hand the guilds have only existed for a few days and even though they're supposed to be pretty important, we haven't seen much fanfare. On the other, we are representing and empowered by what are basically the gods of this world, so there must be some implicit authority there. I imagine it's limited by our lack of guild size and reputation at this point. 



* * *

~I- I don't think Gwen will go- g-go for that. It sounds like she sp- she and her last p-partner s-split over letting an outlaw go.~  
  
The ominous feeling of dread around Victor doesn't shrink down, and you're left questioning what could scare him so much.  
  
~Is it another G-guild?~  
  
~Not exactly.~  
  
There is an audible buildup and release of Victor sighing. As he resigns to let go of some of whatever he's keeping back, the buildup of anxiety lessens.  
  
~There is a reason Victini is no longer allowed to participate in the contests. Not only does he give unfair advantages to his champions, he's willing to pick those who will do anything to win.~  
  
~One of his champions who won built up Tallspire and when we won he was made King for life as part of his reward. I think there are restrictions on what he can and cannot do, after all the Guilds were founded to prevent powerful despots and warlords from controlling the world.~  
  
>Victor Intelligence: Advantage (4, 16/10)  
Victor's presence shudders and shifts as he shakes his head. As though clearing away cobwebs.  
  
~Up until I joined your guild it was hard to even think bad thoughts about him. I just kept justifying the awful way he treated me and others, and...~  
  
He seems to realize he's let more slip than he meant to and you feel in backpedal mentally. Finally, he decides to come clean and explain fully.  
  
~There is no point in hiding this from you now. He likes to have maids, male and female, in his castle. And he fools around with them. For a while I was one of his favorites, but he kept pushing the boundaries of what he could do that I would accept.~  
  
Victor's presence is shivering now, remembering what happened.  
  
~Hoopa helped me escape that and hide out here where King would never find me. That's why I owe him.~  
  
Bringing himself back together into a focus, Victor puts special emphasis on his next idea.  
  
~It was only when I joined the guild that it felt like his... spell really lifted from me.~

* * *

  * Was it maybe an ability to influence others granted by Victini? Hoopa similarly offered us the mind control collar and I wouldn't be surprised if there are protections on how those abilities could be used against other guilds to prevent the competition from becoming a war of guilds. Ask if he thinks the fugitive could be in the same situation as him - as a runaway from the king's service, or if the king is maybe involved in other bad business that might lead to the bounty. 
  * Was Victor not allowed to leave/quit his position normally? If the Mogrem was in the same situation there would probably be a bounty for Victor too. 



* * *

~M-maybe it's a safe- uh, safety. To p-prevent Guilds going to war.~  
  
~I wish we could just...~  
  
A spark of an idea comes to Victor and he brightens up just that little bit.  
  
~We could ask one of the patrons. Hoopa helped me once before, you could try asking him about the King.~  
  
It sounds good. It sounds great. It sounds like something you will forget before you ever see him again.  
  
~M-maybe er, remind me wh- wha- am less drunk.~  
  
The bat boy forces a weak laugh.  
  
~C-could he b-be in a samey situ- tuation as you? Or is, does the King have him doing b- other bad business? Ah- don't, d-don't you think the King might put a bounty on you?~  
  
The idea of one of the guilds coming after him makes Victor worry, and you can feel him pull away from the connection a bit to look around himself.  
  
~I'm certain Amor would notify me if anything of that sort came out in the mail. Just see if you can learn anything from the Morgrem. And remember, if he isn't a part of a Guild he could have difficulty confessing to anything.~

* * *

  * Go check on Michael and Morgrem. We can see if he got any information yet or let him start questioning the guy about why there's a bounty for him and why he would run from his friend. 
  * If we can't contact Hoopa Neha might be our closest substitute. I'm a little surprised all that happened in five years. What happens if the patron and Guild have a conflict of interest?

Wait for our drunken spell to die down so we can get down to things. Ask everyone about the King, including the Morgrem. How far does the King's power go? Does he control only Tallspire, or the whole region? 

    * Mesprit's also an option since we have the other guild with us. We could make fun of her for having a champion that didn't even know her name. I'd probably prefer Hoopa though, just because he's pretty fun. He should be pretty easy to contact since apparently he watches us closely enough to describe intimate details of our night with Victor. He probably spies through the collar. 
  * Try to ease his worries, layer that drunken, from-the-core charm a bit.

"I'm sure no one's really after you, you've been fine so far-- though I can't really blame anyone for finding you irresistible." Cheese it up, go full dork-with-a-crush mode. We're good at that. 

  * From what we know of Victor he must have been part of King's guild and Victini gave King a boon that made it so questioning the leader's actions was impossible. By making Victor part of our guild we unknowingly broke that curse. Another thing we can infer using Victor's stats and Victini's theme as a patron so far is that anyone who was part of the Victini guild likely had rare abilities, like Victor's Telepathy. So if this guy isn't a criminal than he is probably desirable as a teammate because he has Pickpocket. Either that, or King is just into collecting those who have rare abilities, since despite having Telepathy Victor isn't much of a fighter.

Go ask the Morgrem questions. Start with getting a timeline from the past week, before the bounty went out. Any gaps in memory could be King's influence. 

    * I don't think Victor was part of the Kings' guild. If he was an ally, he would have been treated in a more rewarding manner than... that. The influence on Victor is probably a special patronage perk, but also intensified with abuse/gaslighting/ etc in a really devastating way.

That does make one question what exactly happened 5 (or 10-35, since we're the seventh iteration) years ago, for this to happen. What happened to the guilds that lost the challenge, for example? We ought to get our hands on a history book once we get to Tallspire. Though it's probably going to be very biased.

The king might not be that much of a despot (i.e. the concentration camp kind). If he was truly that evil, wouldn't the Mythical Pokemon have done something to stop him at least? Unless he's somehow managed to overpower them. Right now he seems... more like a corrupt pedophile Hollywood executive than the Big Bad antagonist. 




* * *

Drunkenly trying to piece together a reassurance for your bat boy. Some other thoughts leak in.  
  
~I-I'm sure no- no one's really after you- you, you, you're fine. You're so f-fine, I couldn- n't blame anyone for finding you irresistab-ble.~  
  
The unfiltered, from the heart compliments seem to warm Victor up an dismiss some of his bad thoughts. He presses forward, holding your thoughts close, in a psychic hug.  
  
~Thanks, Murdoch. I think I know now why Hoopa picked you.~  
  
Releasing you from his hold, Victor starts to unravel the connection.  
  
~You should get some rest. I'll be here if you need me.~  
  
Coming out of the telepathic trance, you open your eyes. The light coming in through the windows has faded and much of the Mesprit Guild [hall.is](http://hall.is) in darkness. You can see Spring's flame across the lobby in the sleeping area lighting it up like a candle.  
  
Looking for a way to ease your drunkenness, you search the kitchen for any water. There's no pump or reservoir you can find so you open Spring's box.  
  
>Murdoch Intelligence: Advantage, Tipsy (3, 10/14)  
You can't tell what anything is. The bottles of clear liquid could be juice, or alcohol, or water. Instead you just get some dried berry chips from the pantry to munch on.  
  
Crawling into the next room you find Michael wiling away some of the Morgrem's tears with a cloth.  
  
"H-hey guys, can we, can I ask some questions?"  
  
"Do you think you can?"  
  
Michael asks the Morgrem, who does his best to nod in his uncomfortable position. Michael undoes the bindings on his legs since the two of you are right there, letting him stretch and adjust his seating position. His arms are still leashed.  
  
"What do, what do you want to know?"

"St- start why. The bounty, why there's a b-bounty."  
  
He pulls up his legs into a cross legged position and leans his back up against the wall.  
  
"We were, I was, escaping. I broke him, someone out."  
  
The details are intentionally vague. Michael cuts in to point out a few things.  
  
"Your bounty claimed you were a petty thief. And why did you run away when you saw us?"  
  
The fugitive's head bobs down, looking at his lap.  
  
"Can't trust anyone. Can't trust my, myself. Just have to get far away."  
  
"What can y-you tell me ab-bout the King?"  
  
Your question catches him in the gut. You can see him clench up and flinch away. Michael watches the exchange, curious where this is going.  
  
"King. I'm such, such a disappointment."  
  
The Morgrem is talking under his breath, mostly to himself.  
  
"Should we go back, go beg for mercy. He will be merciful. He's always kind."  
  
The nature of his ramblings has Michael looking more concerned than ever. He gently pulls you aside. Or maybe insistently. His biggest tugs still feel gentle to you.  
  
"What's this about the King? He runs Tallspire."  
  
"I-is that all? He's not n- the King of everywhere?"  
  
"Just Tallspire. Does he have something to do with this?"  
  
You look back at the Morgrem, who is still talking to himself.  
  
"I t-think so."  
  
Hoping to get more details you go back over to the Morgrem.  
  
"C-can you give me a timeline of the past w-week?"  
  
"Has it been a week?"  
  
He looks up, facing one of the windows. He stares past you and out at the night, like you aren't there.  
  
"I can't see the sun. We, I'm not back, am I? Is he back too? He spent so long down there. I couldn't... I stole from the King."

* * *

  * He's a lot less lucid than Victor was when we first met him. Explain to Michael that this guy probably helped someone escape the king's 'service' and fell under his charm ability in the process. To get any specific details about it they would need to add him to their guild, breaking the king's influence. And we know this based on our guild member's first hand experience. 
  * Ask who he helped escape. 
  * They got art supplies. If he can't describe what he stole or where he has been maybe he can sketch it.  
Also, we absolutely must read Victor's book when we get back. A city crime drama about a detective getting dominated by a crime lord is too coincidental to ignore and he totally wrote it while under that spell. I suspect it is full of insight. 
  * Gwen really might not believe any of this... what a pain. Clearly we have to st the thief escape. But if we do it now we'll really risk her wrath. She'll blame it on us getting drunk (and the Mesprit Guild being incompetent).

So, we'll have to convince her of how things really are. Maybe Victor and Spring could help. 

    * Victor can't contact her with telepathy and Spring will probably do more harm than good. It will probably have to be a one on one after he we sober up. I don't think it will go too badly though. Gwen actually respects Murdoch somehow and we have a pretty solid understanding of what's going on here now. 
      * This, for now tell the Mogrem were not going to hurt him, but return the bindings. Get some sleep and brace for a difficult conversation in the morning. 



* * *

"I think h-he helped someone escape from the King."  
  
Michael squints his eyes.  
  
"The King is known for being well loved in Tallspire. Not saying I don't believe you, this is just going to be tough to solve."  
  
You try to get the Morgrem to focus on you, moving into his line of sight and looking him in the eye.  
  
"Who did you h-help? It's okay. W-we're here to help."  
  
He snaps out of staring into space and locks eyes with you. You can see a mixture of exhaustion and pain in his expression. He must have been on the run for days without rest before Gwen and Spring beat him into submission.  
  
"Hustle."  
  
In his moment of clarity, he manages to get the word out. The way he says it sounds more like a name than a verb.  
  
"He, makes uh..."  
  
The Morgrem loses his way again, drifting in and out of consciousness. Michael drags a pillow in from the other room and puts it under him as he lowers himself down.  
  
You help Michael bind his legs again, in a more comfortable position than the one Gwen had him in.  
  
"Hustle is a Zigzagoon."  
  
Michael explains once the Morgrem is asleep.  
  
"He deals in recreational substances. All legal, nothing harmful."  
  
He follows you as you crawl into the bedroom and onto one of the floor cots. You don't notice if it's the same one as before. The alcohol is starting to make you even more tired now as the long day hits you.  
  
"We'll talk more in the morning."  
  
Michael buzzes away and leaves you there, drifting off.  
  
>Try to reach Hoopa?  
>Or just sleep?

* * *

  * Sleep. We can barely handle Hoopa sober, so we won't get much from drunk dialing him. We can try in the morning. 
  * Sleep. Hoopa is probably going to interrupt you while in that state, like he did the second time. 



* * *

You can't resist anymore. In the dim glow of Spring's butt you fade to sleep.

If you have any dreams or visions through the night, you don't remember any. When you wake up, your head aches a bit. You weren't completely wasted, so the hangover isn't too bad.

It is late morning. The sun is up shining in the windows. Your eyes blink and take in the room. Spring is gone from her bed. Gwen is curled up with her eyes closed and Larissa is sitting up sketching. You look around but can't see Michael.

You look into the next room and see Michael sitting with the Morgrem. His hands are still tied, but his feet are free and he is eating a bread roll. Michael is perched on his ear.

There is humming in the kitchen. 

* * *

  * Wake Gwen up and have the talk. 
  * How long has it been since we've eaten a proper meal? Should see what's in the kitchen. 
  * Head to the kitchen and bake something good for breakfast while we wait for Gwen to wake up. We can use it to put her in a good mood. 
    * Ah. The 'I have terrible news so breakfast is awesome today' strategy. I like it.
  * Must be Spring in the kitchen. See if her cute monkey butt isn't wearing an apron and nothing else. Should she need help Murdoch knows how to cook. Also if she needs to reach something high up, he has a perfectly nice face she can step on. 



* * *

The rumbling of a hungry stomach draws you to the kitchen to find where the others got their bread roll. Next to the kitchen entrance are some wooden basins of water that weren't there yesterday.  
  
Spring is in the kitchen swaying her hips from side to side while she kneads some dough on top of one of the cupboards. There is a small pan of plain dinner rolls already made and sitting next to her. She hums while she works her fingers through the dough to soften up the bread.  
  
When you come in, Spring turns to see who it is. She's not wearing any apron at all and has some powdery flour on her chest.  
  
"Look who's up. How's the head?"  
  
Rubbing at the side of your head with one claw, you manage a neutral noise to answer her. You still feel foggy and dull but it isn't very painful.  
  
Spring winks.  
  
"Well then, are you hungry for my buns?"  
  
A flirty response dies in your mouth and you crawl over to see what she's doing.  
  
"Y-you bake?"  
  
"Not really. You live alone, you learn to make a few things."  
  
The monkey girl gives you a one shouldered shrug. Not wanting to get left out, you go to the water basins. One of them is clear and the other seems to be used for washing, so you rinse off your claws and walk on two legs back to the counter.  
  
"I b-bake. Need a- a hand?"  
  
"If you're offering, let's see you work. I'm sure your buns taste just as good."  
  
She backs away and slaps you on the butt, leaving a flour imprint of her palm and making you squeak. Then she rinses off her paws in the washing basin.  
  
>Murdoch Intelligence: Advantage, Skill (9, 1/8)  
The plain dinner rolls Spring made look okay, but without anything to put on it bread is just bread. You bend down and take some of the dried berry chips from the drawer, crumbling them into the dough to mix in. They should add a little flavor.  
  
There are ingredients here you never saw in the cupboards and pantry. Spring must have had them in her personal box.

Spring kicks back against the wall behind you and puts her feet up while you do the work. Truth be told it's a one person job and she made one batch already.  
  
"What's your story, baker boy?"  
  
She asks as you shape balls of dough into a new pan.   
  
>Suggesters can expand Murdoch's backstory

* * *

  * Possible topics of backstory:

Who taught Murdoch how to bake?  
What did Murdoch's father think when he was fired?  
What got Murdoch into pokèphilia? 

  * Rather than blurt out something embarassing or sad about himself to someone he's just met and is interested in, it might be good to explore his positive traits.

When he was still in school and too young to work at his father's company, he spent his summers working at a pokemon daycare. He learned magic tricks to entertain the pokemon there, who were impressed by the idea of a human using some kind of special ability. He was also taught to make those baked pokemon treats, which kickstarted his love of baking. I don't remember what they were called, but I think they were like muffins for raising contest stats. 

  * There's really not much to say. Grew up in a decent household, struggled with women as a Human, maybe men as well, romance in general. Maybe glaze over that topic really quickly. Learned to bake to help your Mom out as she worked overtime on a weekly basis and you had two younger siblings you liked to feed to make her life a bit less miserable. Both parents in a corporate field of life so boring it's not even worth naming.

Developed the stutter after a bad breakup, never quite went away. It's okay to tell Spring this, but make it casual, don't linger on it.

Also, as you talk, wipe the flour off her chest. She'll appreciate the concern.

Turn on the magic fingers as you do so. She started it. 

  * The pokemon researcher near his hometown, Professor Cinnamon, is into gastronomy and is the worlds leading scientist on the effects foods have on pokemon. Some of his food science creations are bizarre to say the least, but his writings had sparked a craze of health clubs in the region for well over a decade. Murdoch worked at one of these sanitariums and like everyone else is his town has read Cinnamon's more important papers. So he basically knows nutrition and how to make many things from scratch but making a pomeg look like an oran but taste like a leppa or the exact perfect diet for a charmander to have smoother, harder scales is beyond him.

Probably don't need to bring up dads, disappointment, or pokephilia unless Spring brings it up first.

Murdoch's first time I assume would be with very forward, wild pokemon like lycanroc, nidorina, or whimsicott. At a young age he went camping, got lost because he sucks at camping, and ended up spending a few weeks lost in the woods and surviving Hatchet style. While there he became somewhat dependent on friendly wild pokemon for things and they would need aid in return. Usually just sleeping together since he had a well put together tent, fire, and hands for head pats while the pokemon could find food enough for both of them, but it never got sexual mostly because pokemon rangers found him before the mating season hit. The event still left a mark that later became a fetish despite never seeing that pokemon again. The experience also made him wary of his ability to ever be a trainer due to not being able to survive in the wilds alone for all that long before becoming subservient to a pokemon. 




* * *

Trying to stay positive, you focus on some good memories.  
  
"When I was l-lit- young, I had a summer job at a d-daycare center baking treats. It's a place where t-trainers take Pokemon to..."  
  
You clear your throat and drift off, changing the subject.  
  
"W-well, I learned magic tricks to entert-tain the Pokemon there. They thought it was r-really neat how a human could do s-special tricks."  
  
Side by side you line up the balls of dough in the baking pan and take a look at the oven. Without electronics there's no way to pre heat the oven or set the temperature.  
  
It's a good thing you got used to cooking over a fire. Compared to tin foil over an open flame baking in this oven should be easy.  
  
>Murdoch Intelligence: Advantage, Skill (13, 17/8)  
With some kindling and a puff of flame you get the wood burning oven going again and slide the pan of unbaked buns inside. Then you rinse off the excess flour in the basin.  
  
Spring is just opening up her mouth to say something when you wipe your claw across her chest, brushing away some of the powder and letting your hand send tingles through your body.  
  
"Ahn~ damn, you practice that kind of magic trick on the Pokemon back home?"  
  
You nervously laugh and rub the back of your neck. Forgetting to turn off the fingers, you give yourself a jolt of pleasure that at the same time makes your head ache a little from the minor hangover.  
  
"Well, t-that never happened until n-now. There was t-this time out in the wild, b-but nothing happened. I mean I wouldn't have said n-no..."  
  
The jolt of pleasure and remembering the Pokemon you stayed with for a while both result in a little tent in your kilt. It doesn't go unnoticed by Spring, who pinches the tip through the fabric and pulls, tugging the rest of your length out of its slit. The sensation is a mix of plain from her squeezing the tip and strange pleasure as you fully emerge at half-mast.

"It's rude to pop a boner while you're talking to somebody."

She chastises you playfully. Her fingertips release the tip of your cock and you reach down, rubbing the sore spot.

"S-sorry..."

"Consider us even for the fingers."

Spring sits back and you cough nervously, going back to the oven to check on the progress of your buns. You don't know if Salandits sweat but you sure feel like you're sweating right now.

To pass the time you fill the silence with a few more details.

"We had a- a p-professor in town. He uh, he studied Pokemon nutrition. So that, and both my parents worked, s-so. I cooked for my younger siblings too."

Topics are running out, and whenever you look back at Spring she hits you with a leering gaze. If you get too distracted you'll burn your buns. Maybe you should try grilling her with questions too. 

* * *

  * Ask why she became a bounty hunter, how she came to join the guild, and what she plans to do now that the guild is going to focus on art. 
  * Get some water for the hangover. Never did find out if Gwen and her were more than partners. Not that he wasn't listening or can't handle liquor, but ask what she said yesterday that she wanted him to do with his magic hands. 



* * *

Getting a wooden cup you fill it up from the cooking water basin and take a drink to rehydrate.  
  
"So um, w- not that I wasn't listenong, o-or that I can't handle liquor, but w-what were you saying yesterday about m-my magic hands?"  
  
Stretching out her legs, Spring wiggles her toes and looks at you from the side.  
  
"Oh, just that I would make you do all the cooking and chores and give me lots of massages all over. You're already halfway there, I guess I didn't need to make you my slave after all."  
  
Her mouth puffs into a pout.  
  
"Still would have liked to win."  
  
You rub your claws together on the back of the cup and watch the dough rise in the baking pan.  
  
"You um, h-how did you become a bounty hunter? And with Gwen..."  
  
The cheeky look on her face vanishes. Spring looks across the lobby towards the sleeping quarters and frowns.  
  
"I knew her back when she could barely talk. Tch, she can still barely talk. I always wanted to explore dungeons, and that was all she knew. Bounty hunting started as just a way to make money, but she got really into it."  
  
Rubbing at one of her teeth with a finger, Spring stares off remembering.

"W-were you two c-close?"

A short laugh and Spring looks at you out of the corner of her eye.

"I don't swing that way. But we might've shared a guy or two in our time. So I guess we were pretty comfortable."

"How did things go so bad ah- after just one bad mission?"

Spring's expression gets sharper and she bares her canines.

"Caught somebody. I knew they were innocent, in my gut. But Gwen said deciding who's innocent isn't our job. Got real anal about shit I didn't care about. Words were said. I wasn't letting somebody who didn't deserve it get punished, so I gave Gwen a whooping and let them go. She never got over it."

An awkward silence hangs in the air and Spring goes back to picking her teeth. You pull the buns out of the oven once they finish and feel a few. They're light and fluffy.

"H-how did you end up with the Guild?"

"Found them wandering around a dungeon without a clue. Decided to give them a hand. Working alone gets lonely, and Guilds make the job a ton easier, so I guess I just joined on a whim. Made them really sweat for it though, good to have people feel like they owe you."

Spring shuts up as Gwen pads into the room. The two share a dirty look and Gwen comes over to see your baking. She notices the flour print on your rump and growls a little in her throat.

"She bother you?" 

* * *

  * I think it's time for the talk. Spring being here may help or hurt depending how it goes. Explain what we've learned about the outlaw, how there's no actual crime listed, Victor's experience with king's ability, the morgrem's odd behavior when questioned, and the story about helping someone escape. Emphasize that we need to speak to Hoopa and break the morgrem's charm to confirm things, but at this point it's almost certain that his only crime was helping someone escape from the king's control like Hoopa did for Victor. And if all that turns out to be the case, we cannot turn him in. 
  * Bother? No, she just . . . gave him a little monkey spanking. Twice actually. Judging from past conversations, more like he is bothering Spring  
Gwen probably isn't going to understand or wait for the full story. Get her some bread so she'll have a delayed bite reaction when he tells her that the guy in there isn't guilty.  
Yes his body did it, certainly, but he was mind controlled or possessed at the time so the actual criminal is still out there somewhere. It was possibly even the gastly they caught earlier. I mean, it's not but who knows how Gwen will react to this news without a culprit to pin the crime on immediately. 
  * Let her know you got a bit mouthy and it was very much deserved. No reason to play "Too innocent", it'll be fun to make Spring squirm a little, if Gwen gets too angry about it we'll admit it's a joke.

Try to think unsexy thoughts, Gwen seeing you alone with Spring with a sore boner may be a bit overkill for a first morning sight. She may do more than just pinch it for treachery.

If she sees it and points it out, chalk it up to morning wood. 

  * Tell the whole truth. We have no reason to lie to Gwen. She's been fully supportive of us so far.  
I seem to have a different impression of what happened than the other anon. My understanding of the situation is that there isn't a real 'culprit' to find because there isn't a real crime. The morgrem wasn't controlled into it, he just helped someone escape from the king, who was presumably relying on his ability rather than the law to keep them there.
  * Tell the truth, explain that you spoke with Victor and interrogated the Morgrem and he has no idea what happened or what crime he commit. Propose the idea that the team setting the bounty made a mistake, instead of risking Gwen's fury, ask her to talk to the Morgrem, draw her own conclusions.

Gwen is gruff speaking, but she's not an idiot.

Everyone is dancing around her like she's sensitive to any ideas beyond a 15 IQ to comprehend. She's stubborn but not stupid. If she can talk to the Morgrem up front about it, she should be able to at least realize this isn't a normal mission. 




* * *

"Oh, I-I was just being mouthy and g-got a little monkey spanking."  
  
Gwen shoots around to look Spring in the eyes and you quickly calm her down with pets, running your claw down the thick fur of her neck and working your way back up to behind her ear.   
  
"H-hey, it was just a joke. Hey, why d-don't you have a bun? They're hot so b-be careful."  
  
You go back to the counter to get her one of your freshly baked rolls. Careful to conceal your wood and clear your mind of lewd thoughts.  
  
>Murdoch Will: (18/10)  
The erection shrinks back into your slit as you offer Gwen a bit of breakfast. She takes a small bite out of it and you can hear the bits of dried berry crunch.  
  
Food puts Gwen in a better mood and she sits down, content to let you feed her.  
  
You swallow down the nervousness and try to put the words together in a way that will sound most convincing.  
  
"G-Gwen, I had a talk with Victor over his t-telepathy."  
  
She listens, her ears perking up as she takes another bite.  
  
"He was... Spring, this is a little personal, c-could you step out?"  
  
"Yeah alright. Holler if you need me."  
  
Getting up and walking out with a hand on her hip, she avoids looking at Gwen. With just you and Gwen you share some details Victor might not want to be going around.  
  
"He was talking about how he was in- in an a- an abusive relationship. It involved the King in Tallspire, and Victor said that until he j-joined the Guild he felt under some kind of spell."  
  
Gwen growls as she tears off a piece of bread and swallows it.  
  
"Then we go. We catch."  
  
So far so good. Now for the hard part.  
  
"It- it's not that simple. He, he was a winner of the Guild contest and has a bunch of rewards from the patrons so w-we might not be able to stop him. B-but.. we can help others he abused."  
  
Licking the front of her teeth to clean off bits of bread after she finishes the roll, Gwen follows along, keeping her eyes on you.  
  
"There other? Where we find?"

The moment of truth.

"We um, m-me and Michael, we figured out that the Morgrem we caught helped one of them escape. And t-that's why, we think the King put up a fake bounty. So we- uh, he um, d-didn't do anything."

Gwen watches you carefully. You can tell she's tense. Her gaze turns towards the doorway behind her.

"Spring do this? Put you up?"

"N-no, no, it has nothing to do with that. This is... l-look, if you need proof, talk to him. Or- or ask Larissa. She has special Empathy from her patron, she's like a l-lie detector."

Gwen gets up and pads into the lobby room without another word. You hurry to follow as she approaches the Morgrem, who is eating a bun with his bound hands. Michael is perched on his ear.

"You. Explain."

She bluntly orders the Morgrem. He stares with his mouth full and then remembers to swallow.

"What?"

"They say, you no steal. Why you have bounty?"

The Morgrem looks down and moves his mouth, but no words come out at first. When he finally talks it's more coherent than last night.

"I... I broke someone out of the dungeon. They must have been a criminal, but..."

He shakes his head and closes his eyes.

"No. The way they were treated... but he had to have good reasons. I... should turn myself in?"

Gwen turns to you, looking satisfied with his answer.

"He say will turn in. We take, then check King."

"And by the time you find if something's wrong it will be too late for him. His name is Ester by the way."

Michael cuts in. He stands protectively on the Morgrem's head. Gwen looks back at him with a mix of apprehension and frustration.

"He say he break out criminal."

Spring steps out from around the corner into the next room.

"And does he sound right to you? He's been hypnotized or drugged or something."

Gwen looks at the floor and growls, clearly trying not to lash out at Spring.

"You're blinded by hating me. This isn't like you."  
  
The monkey insists. Gwen looks up at her, ears bent back.  
  
"Last time, you told me I was being stupid and sentimental and there was no proof. But I trusted my gut. This time, the proof is staring you in the face and all you see when you look at him is me being right, and you can't stand it."  
  
Spring points at the Morgrem. You reach out and take Gwen's shoulder. Her head snaps back to look at you, then her posture softens.  
  
"You trust me right? And V-Victor backs up his story. Y-you said not to steal from good people. We can't let someone punish good people for... for doing the right thing."  
  
>Gwen Will: (8)  
>Spring Charm: (10)  
>Murdoch Charm: (15)  
A heavy stream of air blows from Gwen's nostrils as she lets out a deep breath.  
  
"Fine. We no turn in. Yet."  
  
"There's another option besides turning him in at all."  
  
The small voice of Michael can be heard as he buzzes closer.  
  
"Guilds can force outlaws to join and pardon them. Most don't because it can hurt their reputation if the outlaw misbehaves. If one of our Guilds recruited Ester, the bounty would be invalid anyways."  
  
"A-and if it's like Victor it should break his spell."  
  
Gwen looks between you and Michael.  
  
"So who take him? Who be responsible for him?"  
  
>Take Ester as a Guild member  
>Let Mesprit's Guild recruit Ester  
>Suggest nobody recruit Ester

* * *

  * I don't really like Ester, but... if we send Ester to Spring, Gwen will second guess if this is the right decision for a very long time with no ultimate validation.

Pull Gwen to the side and tell her that if we take him in, we can keep an eye on him as well. If this whole situation isn't as it appears, we can take care of it firsthand. Gwen is being the bigger hyena by being willing to talk this through, we owe her that much. 

  * Definitely let Mesprit's guild recruit him. We don't know him at all, he's apparently friends with Michael, his background is "stoner", which makes for a better member of of art guild than a bounty hunting one, and frankly he has no lewd/dom/cute appeal at all. Guild slots are limited and we need to make them count. 
  * Ester seems more familiar with the Mesprit Guild. I think he would be better off with them than with us. 
    * We don't want to recruit some rando. Keep our eyes on the prize: Spring. 
      * God, imagine getting Spring and Gwen on the same team and they get competitive over us. Murdoch's dick'll wind up breaking off by the end of it like a twig.

We should absolutely do it. 

  * Drop this one on mesprit. We're aiming for Spring 
  * Michael really wants her gone, and I doubt she'll want to stick around after they tell her they're doing art full time. Honestly, the fact that they haven't told her yet after half a day of travel and hanging around the guild with nothing better to do is kind of terrible. It's just a toxic relationship all around. She should be with a guild where volunteering your guildmaster as a slave-for-a-day reward will be appreciated. 
    * Maybe over time we could ease Gwen and Spring's feud into more of a rivalry. We seem to be a good mediator. If either gets too pissed, we could take the abuse, and heck, probably enjoy it. 
  * Let the other team handle this, but at least try and resolve things fully afterwards so Gwen knows she did the right thing. 



* * *

"M-Michael knows him. I think he would do better wi- with your Guild."  
  
Larissa peeks out from behind Spring and slowly eases herself into the room. She fidgets with her paws before speaking.  
  
"We... we can take him. I'm... really not too worried... about winning."  
  
To your surprise, Michael doesn't seem surprised or concerned about her admission. He flies over and hovers near her bag.  
  
"Is it alright if I grab the Guild card from you?"  
  
Larissa nods and Michael climbs into her bag, flying out soon after with their card. He flies to Ester and holds it in front of him. The bug's voice is gentle.  
  
"Ester? If you want to, you can join our Guild. Anything you did wrong will be forgiven and you won't have to worry anymore. All you have to do is touch the card."  
  
Carefully, slowly, Ester reaches out and places his hand against the Guild card. His face appears on it, with the other members. You notice that unlike your card it doesn't list any of their fetishes.  
  
Immediately after joining, Ester blinks and rubs his eyes, as if clearing away a layer of sleep.  
  
"Whoa. I feel like. I need to process. Where am I again?"  
  
"You're in Windmill Village. Come on, let's get you some more food."  
  
Michael undoes the leash around his hands. Gwen tenses up, but the Morgrem makes no moves to escape or attack. He lifts a hand to feel his black eye and winces, then follows Michael into the kitchen.  
  
You are left with Gwen, Spring and Larissa.  
  
"Hey Larissa?"  
  
You speak up to get her attention. The shy girl looks at you with her head down. It's an improvement from when you met her yesterday.  
  
"Yes...?"  
  
"I think y-you should tell Spring about the new direction of your Guild."  
  
"Oh... yeah."

She turns and faces Spring, who leans against the door frame. The spunky monkey looks like she expects what's coming.

"We... we decided to do art... as a Guild. If... you don't want to be with us anymore, I... understand."

Spring watches her face, lowering herself down to get a better view.

"Hey. If you kids want to draw pretty pictures all day, that's no skin off my back. But I'm not a sitting around fingerpainting kind of girl."

Spring runs a hand over her head and scratches at her ear.

"So yeah. I guess I'll go do my own thing. Besides, if I'm competing in something I want to compete to win."

Larissa nods, slowly. She opens her mouth, then closes it. Then she opens it again to talk.

"You're... rude. But... you're not bad. I hope you find... someone you like."

Mesprit's chosen shuffles off into her room again, leaving you with the other girls. Spring keeps standing where she is, looking away from Gwen. Gwen sits next to you with her eyes closed and a tense face.

"So- uh, s-so um."

You reach out and run a hand through Gwen's fur and down her side. Despite herself you see some of the tension drain from her face.

"You did good today, Gwen. D-do you understand Spring a- a little better?"

Gwen opens her eyes and looks straight at Spring.

"Apologize."

"Apologize for what?"

Spring snarks back, and the two are in a standoff again. 

* * *

  * Gwen still owns Larissa for a few hours right? Either let those two finish Gwen's painting while we talk this through with Spring or use Larissa's emotion sense to engage in a little group therapy. The latter being either traditional therapy or everyone entering the telepathy space like before and being unable to mask their feelings. 
  * Uh oh. Appeal to their past relationship. They were good friends before their fight and now they've relived the same fight and come out of it on the same side. Ask if this wouldn't be the perfect chance to let that bitterness go? Neither of them has to admit to being in the wrong if they can both just agree to move on. It seems like they were important to eachother, so wouldn't they rather have their old friendship back? 
  * Calm everyone down with some more baked treats, if there are any left. Ask if they'd prefer us to leave, but do include the suggestion for emotional therapy. 
  * By themselves they'll just fight and Murdoch should be the one to talk them down if we want to recruit Spring. I don't think involving Larissa would do any good either. She can barely talk to normal people, let alone help mediate with two aggressive types. Ask if they miss each other at all. Say that if the fight about Ester had ended for Mudoch and Gwen like it did for the two of them he would have regretted it for the rest of his life. 
  * Appeal to them the only way they know how, point out that with the Morgrem technically not being a bounty, no one actually won the contest yesterday.

Why not bet who has to apologize to the other on who can win over the next bounty faster since we're all in the same area together, whether Gwen/Spring likes it or not. 

    * Wouldn't that make them not like each other more? 
      * Temporarily. But it'll keep them around together long enough to think of a better plan. Otherwise Spring is likely to head off on her own, alone, and I like Gwen, but I feel like the two of us just going after bounties isn't as fun as having a group. 
  * They both like Murdoch, so just be diplomatic and talk them down. No need to get elaborate about it. 



* * *

"Ex- excuse me."  
  
You slide in between the two of them and can almost feel the tension in the air. Both girls turn to look at you.  
  
"You two were, um, good friends before right? W-wouldn't this be the perfect chance to let all this bitterness go?"  
  
Spring lets out a short laugh.  
  
"How do you figure that?"  
  
"N-nobody has to admit to being in the wrong if you can just b-both move on. If that fight about Ester ended for me and Gwen l-like it did for you two, I'd have regretted it f-forever. Don't you miss each other at all?"  
  
>Gwen Will: (6)  
>Spring Will: Disadvantage (5, 7)  
>Murdoch Charm: (16)  
Both of them look over you, at each other. Their tense expressions melt a little bit and Spring takes a step forward, extending a paw towards Gwen.  
  
"He's wrong. We both have to admit we were wrong. No more excuses. I'm sorry, alright? I shouldn't have fought you."  
  
"Hmph. Apologize. I no trust you. Partner should trust partner."  
  
Slowly, Gwen lifts up her paw and sets it in Spring's, and the two shake on it.  
  
"B-besides, since there's no bounty anymore, the b-bet is still on right?"  
  
You speak up from under the two of them, looking up at them. They release each other's paw and look back down at you.  
  
"W-why not see who can win the next bounty faster?"  
  
Spring gets her characteristic smirk back.  
  
"I don't have a partner to bet anymore. Not much of a bet if Gwen doesn't get anything if she wins."  
  
"When I win."  
  
Spring looks up at Gwen and narrows her eyes. It's a playful expression now, not as tense or fierce. She lifts a hand to her mouth and chuckles.  
  
"Want to bet?"  
  
You peek over into the next room and see Larissa sketching again. She must still be working on Gwen's picture, even if the bet is sort of off now.

* * *

  * This is it. Our moment. Pull Gwen aside and ask if she'd be okay with recruiting Spring. If we're going to continue bounty hunting we'll need more tough pokemon like Gwen, and we'll never find a better candidate than Spring, someone who she already has experience working with. Not to mention it would give her a chance to rebuild her friendship and win that bet. 



* * *

You place a claw on Gwen's shoulder and gently pull her to make her look at you and you turn around away from Spring. You're pretty sure Spring is still in earshot, but it gives Gwen the illusion of some privacy.

"D-do you think you'd be okay if we recruited Spring? If we keep b-bounty hunting we'll need more tough Pokemon like you, a-and you could rebuild your friendship."

Gwen huffs and looks back over her shoulder at Spring. You look back too and see Spring pretending to whistle and not pay attention.

"Hm. Is okay. Long as she behave."

"So does that meant he bet's still on then?"

Gwen takes the guild Card out of the item bag and sets it in front of Spring. Then her looks to you. A sly smirk tells you she knows you planned this.

"How about? Winner have our partner for slave for a day."

Picking up the card, Spring turns it over and gives it a look.

"Wow you've got a kinky Guild card."

"I-it's a prank from Hoopa."

You explain, laughing awkwardly. Spring hands the card back to you, with her information newly printed on it.

"Sounds like a fun guy. Can't wait to meet him." 

* * *

  * Back to bakery plans. We still need to secure grain shipments and, unless Spring owns the oven here or has a home nearby, we still need to get to the city. Check with Larissa that she is okay if we pick up Spring's stuff on the way back. Not that she would be interested, but invite her to join the bet to win Murdoch for a day if she wants to.  
Also, find out where the leash went. 
  * >+Fit, +Pow, and a multi hit  
What a bruiser.  
If we're still going to Tallspire to collect our bounty and maybe clear Ester's name we should probably talk to Hoopa about the king.
  * Out of interest, what would happen if we used the fingers ON Hoopa, once we got to see him?

Now that he's sober, we should ask Ester for more details about his Zigzagoon friend. If that's not too rude. 




* * *

The leash Spring used to tie up Ester is still attached to one of the support beams of the Guild Hall. You untie it and give it back to her.  
  
"D-do you own the oven here, or l-live around here?"  
  
Spring waves a hand with a shake of her head.  
  
"Oven's the Guild's. Only thing I own here is the ice box. I live on the road, go where the jobs are. Was kinda nice having a nest again."  
  
She prods at Gwen in the side with her foot. Gwen growls in response, but not aggressively.  
  
"Guess I get to stay in your little backwater hut, huh?"  
  
"Maybe I make sleep outside."  
  
"You wouldn't do that to little old me would you?"  
  
While the two of them bicker between them you go to see Larissa. When you come over she hands you a pencil sketch of Gwen's face and upper body.  
  
"H-hey, not bad. Um, about Spring's stuff. C-can we leave it here until we come back?"  
  
"Yeah... sure. I don't mind."  
  
Leaning in around the doorway, Spring cuts in.  
  
"You guys can use it to keep stuff cool until I'm back. Just don't drink none of my stuff."  
  
You rub one of your claws along the back of your other arm and make Larissa an offer in a quieter voice.  
  
"I-if you want you guys can join the bet to w-win me for a day."  
  
Shyly, she peeks up from around her ear. Her expression is as plain and hard to read as ever.  
  
"No... thank you. I think... I'm done with dungeons. Unless... I really, really have to..."  
  
You start to pat Larissa on the shoulder and then remember she doesn't like to be touched. You smile and not instead and go check on Ester and Michael in the kitchen.  
  
Ester is drinking some water and leaning on the counter. Michael is sitting on the counter next to him.  
  
"H-hey. Feeling better?"  
  
"Sure. Totally, like fog is blowing away."  
  
You sit in front of him, in a reptilian squat.  
  
"D-do you mind if I ask about your Zigzagoon friend? I-is he on the run too?"  
  
Ester's ears wiggle up and down. He sets down his wooden cup and gasps.

"Ah crap. Hus. Was there a bounty for him too?"  
  
The only two that came to your village were him and the Gastly. You shake your head. Ester turns to Michael, who shakes his head too.  
  
"Must be the King sent is own goons after him."  
  
"Or he fled in another direction. Should we send word to the other Guild towns?"  
  
Michael suggests, crawling forward off of the counter and gliding to the floor next to you. Ester picks up another of your rolls and chews on it, clearly stress eating.  
  
Gwen and Spring come in from behind you and Spring snatches up a roll for herself.  
  
"Almost forgot in all the excitement I haven't eaten yet. So what's the plan, exalted Guildmaster?"  
  
Her snarky tone is punctuated by a bite into the baked good.  
  
"W-we have to go to Tallspire anyways. To collect a- another bounty. For the Gastly. We should p- or I should probably talk to Hoopa about the king. I wonder if h-he would come to my dreams if I called."

* * *

  * I guess let's hit the road for Tallspire then. No sense hanging around any longer. 
  * >Larissa is done with dungeons  
Maybe if we build a place with some toys, whips, and bondage gear (blindfolds especially) she'll see dungeons can be really fun.  
  
Anyway, be sure she knows how to call if she needs us or wants to talk. Victor's telepathy is strong because of reasons but Larissa is a strong psychic so shouldn't need to go that far, unless she wants to.
  * Thank the Windmill guild for their time. Is there somewhere in this town we can find more bounties? Then we should see if we have enough inventory for the trip to Tallspire. We don't have money to buy anything with, so we'll have to be very stringent. 



* * *

"R-remember, I- I think if you just think about me and focus you can use t-telepathy like we did with Victor."  
  
You tell Larissa while saying your goodbyes to the Mesprit Guild. The shy cat puts on the faintest smile.  
  
"If we... ever need any help, I'll... I'll keep you in mind."  
  
Twiddling two fingers together you nervously add.  
  
"Victor's telepathy is strong f-for er, reasons. B-but you're already really strong so, t-that might not be necessary."  
  
"I... guess we'll see."  
  
Larissa looks off past you and shyly waves goodbye to Spring, before shuffling away into the bunkroom.  
  
You turn to see Spring giving Michael a one-fingered noogie. He buzzes in her grip and struggles to get free with more strength than you would expect of his size.  
  
"Let go of me!"  
  
"Say uncle."  
  
>Spring Fitness: Advantage (8, 20)  
>Michael Fitness: Disadvantage (18, 5)  
Spring stays calm and keeps a firm grip on Michael even as he gives his all. Tired out, the bug goes limp in between her two fingers and dangles there.  
  
"Uncle."  
  
Satisfied, Spring smugly sets him down on the floor. Michael immediately smooths out the messed up fuzz on his head.  
  
"What was that for?!"  
  
"For calling me names when you think I'm not listening."  
  
With a wink over her shoulder, Spring takes you by the arm and leads you out. Gwen is at your other side in an instant, pressed up close to you to force you to put an arm around her. She tries to go at a faster pace to keep her head ahead of Spring. Together the two of them drag you along stumbling faster than you can normally walk on two legs.  
  
"D-does the town have a place for bounties?"  
  
You ask, hoping a stop will help you rearrange this into something more comfortable.  
  
"Oh yeah, most of them have a request board. Bounties are the only ones that really get around, the requests will all be local."  
  
"M-maybe we should check it out for any easy ones. F- for- so we can get extra supplies for the trip."

Spring and Gwen keep competing to lead the way and bring you to a big cork bulletin board beside the local Guild Hall. Ester's bounty posting is still up, but Spring takes it down herself and crumples it, reaching back to let it char in her tail.

The bounty for the Gastly is still up as well so they must not have got word that you caught him yet. Gwen gets up on the board with her front paws and yanks that one off with her mouth.

There are no more bounties but two more basic requests. One is from a sea captain who wants a Guild to help him explore one of the sea dungeons for treasure, but you remember those are supposed to be really dangerous. The other is from a tailor who wants models for new designs.

You are distracted away from reading by a hip bump from Spring.

"The really fun requests get written on the back."

Curious you go around behind. Someone has left a piece of chalk stuck to the back by some sticky goo and it's been used to write lewd and rude things. It reminds you of bathroom stall writing. There is a request, or maybe advertisement, to knock on the back door of the village bakery for the good stuffing. Another requests a cave to explore tonight near the pier. 

To be continued


	5. Tricks and Tips

  * a bakery and good stuffing  
now this is podracing 
  * We're pretty much obligated to hit up a bakery. 
  * Tailor seems a safe bet, we are not ready for deep sea exploration.



* * *

The baking innuendo catches your eye.

"M-maybe I could do the bakery one."

Spring laughs and claps you on the back.

"Living up to being a Salandit, alright. I can show you where it is."

The two girls compete over the lead again, but neither of them have grabbed you this time, allowing you to follow more comfortably on all fours. Working with the two of them is going to be a workout.

The bakery is a very bright building. The walls are painted red and the windows are round portholes with yellow rims. In the front windows you can see displays with clay sculptures of their products, such as cakes and muffins.

"You want us go with?"

Gwen rumbles. Whether she really knows what's going on is anyone's guess. Spring holds a hand to her mouth and laughs.

"I think all three of us might be a little too much for this one. Up to you, fearless leader."

Behind the bakery is a small cobblestone area. It's too nice to call it a back alley, but it rests in the middle between the backs of a few different shops. It looks a little exposed for doing lewd things, anyone could walk through at any time. But that also excites you, and you feel yourself start to swell inside your cockslit. 

* * *

  * He can handle this one solo. It's like the one type of mission he's qualified for. 
  * Ask Spring if she’s TRYING to get you molested. 
  * Try this solo, but ask Gwen and Spring to stay within earshot in case it's a trap or setup. This IS a sketchy situation. 



* * *

"S-so you're totally trying to get me molested, r-right?"  
  
You look up at Spring and her mouth splits into a wide apish grin.  
  
"You're the one who jumped at it, buddy."  
  
"W-we could always go help out the tailor... b-but."  
  
Some cold feet make you nervous and you shuffle back and forth. It can't be that bad, it's broad daylight, right?  
  
"M-maybe you two should stay w-within earshot. But I um, I'll handle this solo."  
  
Gwen brushes her head under your chin.  
  
"Call if you need. I come running."  
  
The two girls wait near the bakery while you slide into the alcove behind it. The bakery doors are round and stylized and the back one is no exception. You lightly knock on it, but nobody answers. They probably couldn't hear.  
  
Gathering up some willpower, you knock again more certainly this time. After a moment a Shuckle opens the door and pokes his head out.  
  
"Oh, hello."  
  
He seems surprised to see you at first. You start to think it was all a joke or prank, but his next question clears that up.  
  
"Are you here about the uh, request I left? I never really expected anybody to... you know. Go for it."

* * *

  * Tell him we were sold on the request at the word 'bakery'. 
  * So you're looking to give a stuffing or~ 
  * You may wanna know what is it that he exactly wants and expects, determine your limits and set a safe word, he is a complete stranger after all. 
  * Play coy, ask him if he has any experience baking, make sure that he's not, well, extremely daft and was literally expecting a baker. If he goes to shake tentaclaws, give a bit of the juice to get an idea of how he responds to arousal and if he's "Safe" or not. 
  * Introduce yourself, ask for introductions, but maybe not that you're part of a guild. Although... That is interesting. Can only guilds respond to requests like these?



* * *

"I w-was sold at the word 'b-bakery'. I take it you're a- a baker?"  
  
You tell him, trying to play it cool and keep from running into something with the wrong idea. He opens the door a little more, and you can see behind him a kitchen that opens up into the bakery shop.  
  
"Yeah, this is my bakery. I don't know if it's customary to introduce myself, or not. I guess you don't have to, but, well. I'm Percy."  
  
He extends one of his yellow tendrils. You take it in your claw, feeling its soft texture. Actually his arm tentacle feels a lot like dough, soft and squeezable and it rises again after you release. You give him a little bit of a tingle and he shivers from the sensation.  
  
"Oh, wow. Is this like, a pheromone thing?"  
  
You try to laugh coyly, but nearly hiccup in the middle of it from nerves  
  
"T-to- well- uh, something like that."  
  
From his attitude it seems like you had the right idea of what he wanted. So you dial back the coyness and try to get him to tell you more.  
  
"What, um, w-what is it you want? T-that is, are you- are you looking to give a stuffing, or..?"  
  
Percy doesn't pull away from your hand, seeming to enjoy the tingling sensation. He doesn't try to pull you in or anything shady either.  
  
"Honestly, I just put that up on a dare with a friend, I don't normally do this sort of thing. But that doesn't mean I don't want anything to happen!"  
  
He quickly adds, before you feel like he's shutting things down.

"I- I don't really either. Just kind of b-been enjoying some newfound confidence. S-so what are your p-preferences? I'm M-Murdoch. By the way."  
  
You look down at your claw. Realizing he's still holding your hand like a degenerate, Percy gently pulls it away from your claw.  
  
"I prefer to be the giver, but I don't mind paying you back if you want."  
  
You look around the back alcove. There's still nobody else around, but it's not the most private place.  
  
"I guess w-we should set limits. Do you w-want to do it out here?"  
  
"I don't think I could handle that."  
  
Percy admits, shaking his head.  
  
"I'd prefer if we went inside for the main event, I guess we'll call it. I don't know if you've ever been with a Shuckle before, but the first time can get a little weird. Is there a safeword you want to use in case you don't like it?"  
  
"B-bookmark?"  
  
If Percy thought it a strange choice, he doesn't mention it, just nods.  
  
"Sure."  
  
He moves aside from the inside of the door and invites you in.  
  
"Is there anything you really like or don't like, so I know?"  
  
>Go in?  
>Limits?

* * *

  * All in. Spring and Gwen have probably teased us into holding in one massive load. It’s okay to permit him to go wild with you. 
  * We can just say bookmark if he goes too far. Just go inside 
  * Part of me wants to invite Spring and Gwen to watch Murdoch take it while they tease him, but another just wants to see what Percy can do on his own. Shuckle is the only way to obtain berry juice (if I'm remembering right) so Murdoch being the receiver is probably the safest option because putting his berries in those holes is a surefire path to CBT.



* * *

Feeling particularly randy you follow Percy in and close the door behind you. He's gone out into the front and is putting a sign on the front door.  
  
"A-anything's cool, really. J-just, I'll say bookmark if things are too much. G-go wild."  
  
Percy's kitchen is nicer than the barebones one in the Mesprit Guild's hall. He has two separate ovens and a rack of different types of pans. There's even a sink with a hand-cranked water pump so he doesn't have to go far to get clean water.  
  
When he comes back, he leads you off to the side to a set of stairs leading up.  
  
"My bedroom is just upstairs. There's not a lot of head room, but I think that should be okay for you?"  
  
You go up with him into a room with a low ceiling, like an attic. There is a plush looking pillow nest up here, where he invites you to get comfortable.  
  
Apart from his bed, a window looking out at the street and an empty wooden cup there isn't a lot up here. You guess a Pokemon like him wouldn't really wear clothes.  
  
"So when you say w-weird, you don't have some kind of b-blender or c-crusher in there for berries do you?"  
  
Your innocent question makes him laugh as you lie down on the pillows.  
  
"Nothing like that. We break down berries into juice using digestive enzymes, but it doesn't work on meat. Grass types might have to be careful with us."   
  
Spread out flat on your back, you look up at Percy demurely. There's a visible tent pitched in your kilt. He draws closer and sets his tentacles on either side of your waist, looking at you for permission. He draws the kilt down and off of you letting your dark pink erection stand up in the dim light of the attic bedroom.  
  
"G-go wild."  
  
You repeat yourself, curious to see what the full Shuckle experience is. He slips out of his shell and you see for the first time a Shuckle without a shell.

"If you were expecting me to go wild by pounding you into the floor, well, my shell really would crush you if I did that. It's solid rock."

His body is very stringy and stretchy like a pile of spaghetti noodles as he slinks across the floor and rests overtop of you. His skin all over is as soft and flexible as his arm was.

"I have fine control of my body. This won't even need any lube. Think of it like all the benefits of a Ditto without the risk of me laying an egg in your butt."

His long limbs wrap themselves around you, and he has you practically tied up in his body. His torso presses down against your crotch while his face hovers above yours'.

"Comfy?"

Between him and the pillows, you feel enveloped in softness. Like lying in bed covered in cool jello. You nod, and you start to feel what he meant by fine control. Everywhere he's holding you up against him, you can feel him start to flex and massage your body.

You also start to feel a pleasant tickling sensation. His body actually feels like it's tickling you on contact, and that feels especially weird with your dick pressed between your stomach and his. You fight back the urge to giggle.

"That's me. Like I said, totally safe if you aren't a Grass type. It's not sensory overload is it? I can dial back the contact." 

* * *

  * I really like the idea of getting a little overloaded, and I really really like that the enzymes cause a tickling sensation. I feel its a good parallel to the magic touch everyone else is always on the receiving end of. Could probably return the favor with some of that, as well. 
  * >pleasant tickling sensation  
Amateur. Show him real sensory overload with those magic fingers.
  * Shyly request it as intense as he can make it. Admit you really, REALLY need this. 
  * All noodles is fine if we can find out where his most important noodle is. Just where exactly is his dick? Unless, you know, his body as a whole is erogenous. Try stroking him all over and see what happens.



* * *

You wrap your fingers around the noodle limbs encompassing you and give them a playful squeeze, letting your magic fingers go full force. Percy's body wriggles at the touch and he rubs his torso against you eagerly.  
  
"A-amateur."  
  
You stutter out through a barely held back giggle fit. Percy smirks playfully.  
  
"I take it you want more, then."  
  
"As- as intense as y-you can! Give it to me!"  
  
He heeds your request and pulls you tightly. His body molds over your own, covering every surface as he squeezes into the nooks and crannies, leaving only your head exposed. The ticking sensation hits you all over, some places soft and pleasant, others are more sensitive and you can't help it. Laughter bubbles up from inside and you have to let it go, laughing and giggling in your fungal cocoon.  
  
You try to run your hands all over, but he's already all over you. It's like swimming in molasses or quicksand, trying to raise an arm. You settle for kneading and rubbing at his body with your fingers. Judging by the shudders he's getting he's definitely enjoying your magic touch too.  
  
In your crotch area, you feel him start to mold into place as well. His stomach has enveloped your dick and you can already feel yourself spurting pre into a small open pocket. His body also molds down into your slit and ass, beginning to fill in all the cracks.  
  
He was right about not needing lube. It's not like something pushing its way in, but instead tiny tendrils sliding in and then swelling inside to fill the available space. Even your deepest, most private places are not spared the sensation of Percy's enzymes, and you can feel your prostate and internal testes being pressed against as he swells and contracts, massaging every inch.

>Murdoch Lewd: Disadvantage, Sensory Overload (7, 15/12)  
>Percy Lewd: Magic Fingers (13/12)  
It's all you can do to breathe. The overstimulation ends up resulting in a weak, ruined orgasm. You can barely feel any release, just the tickling sensation all over, even as you shoot off a few small strands into Percy's body.  
  
You can feel Percy's multiple penises pulsating and leaking fluids inside of you as they expand and contract asynchronously. He is visibly sucking in his lip and barely holding back from finishing.  
  
>Murdoch Lewd: Disadvantage, Sensory Overload, Post-Orgasm (1, 2/14)  
Even with his continued ministrations down below, you can't seem to get hard again after your weak orgasm. You even feel just as pent up as before, pressure deep in your loins mixing with the continuing assault on all your senses. Your penis withdraws into your slit, still throbbing.  
  
It's hard to care about a ruined orgasm. Everything else in your body is releasing pleasurable impulses straight to your brain, all at once and the laughter washes away all of your stress.  
  
>Percy Lewd: Magic Fingers (8/14)  
Finally, Percy finishes. You hear him gasp as the flood of his load fills you up. He's got you so full and tightly embraced that it has nowhere to escape, and you feel its thick presence inside.  
  
"Just... about done."

He gasps, starting to pull himself back into shape. His limbs mold back into their compact noodle forms. As his torso pulls back and you finally catch your breath, unable to even speak, he eases you off of the pillow nest and over the wooden floor, holding you with two arms.

"It's going to be... a mess when I pull back. Don't want to get it all over the bed."

You nod dizzily and look down. A splatter of your cum is on his chest, dripping down towards your joined crotches. Percy breaks the seal, shrinking his penises down as he pulls back. You can see them now, several white tendrils extending in a cluster from his crotch area. They pull back inside and the flesh folds around them, looking a little like the ring of a butthole.

As soon as the blockage is gone, his cum leaks out of your ass and down your tail, onto the wooden floor. You finally feel control of your tongue start to come back.

"You all good?"

You mumble something incoherent.

"Yeah. Most people can't handle this more than once in a while. Makes it kind of hard to get a date."

He laughs awkwardly and moves a pillow over under your head as he lays you down. Once you're safely in place and recovering he slides back into his shell.

"I'll get some water to help you wash up. Do you want anything to drink?" 

* * *

  * A drink is fine. That was rather intense, so we might have to help clean up after. If we can still move. 
  * Sure, why not. 



* * *

"Y-yes."

You lean back onto the pillow and close your eyes, letting your body recover from the harrowing, but enjoyable ordeal. Percy picks up the wooden cup from the floor and carries it downstairs.

When he comes back he has a bucket of water with a cloth draped over the side, and the cup is resting in one of his shell's holes like a convenient holder. He starts by handing you the cup.

"Some Oran juice. It helps with exhaustion, and with getting it back up if you want a turn on top."

You take a sip of the beverage, which is tangy and refreshing.

"T-that was intense, wow. I should c-clean up."

Shakily, you try to sit up on your elbows. Percy waves an arm for you to lie back down.

"Take it easy, you're still shaking. I'll take care of it."

Without much choice once your arms give out, you flop back onto the pillow and let Percy wipe up his mess. He rubs down your tail with some cool water and a cloth, and wipes up where it leaked out onto the floor.

It's a bit of an awkward silence lying there and getting cleaned up post coitus as if by a nursemaid. The butterflies in your stomach are finally settling down. 

* * *

  * Uh, what now? Do we make small talk with Percy, or did that comment imply he wanted to go for another round? 
  * Ask him about his bakery. Tell him we're looking into getting an oven and supplies for our guild and are wondering about the logistics of getting it all sent there. 
  * A tentacle monster can't get a date? I find that hard to believe.
  * Murdoch is a mess and Percy is fine. It may take the whole guild working together to bring this guy to exhaustion. 
    * I think that's just because Murdoch has low Lewd. 



* * *

Wanting to break up the silence you ask about his bakery.  
  
"So, h-how did y- you get started? I'm um, looking t-to get an oven to bake for my, m-my Guild."  
  
Percy looks up from rubbing off a few spots of dried cum from your tail.  
  
"Oh, you are? I know a great metalworker in Tallspire. He's where I get all my cookware, pots pans and all."  
  
"R- really? I was just g- ah, just going there to look."  
  
You take another sip of juice to wet your throat.  
  
"Just ask around for Enzo. He's near the bridge."  
  
"I f-find it hard to believe such a vigorous t-tentacle monster can't get a date."  
  
Wringing out the cloth into the bucket one last time, Percy hangs it on the side and smiles at your compliment.  
  
"I'm glad you enjoyed it, but it's not for everyone. I've had two people now tell me it's too tiring."  
  
Percy doesn't seem tired out at all. He folds his noodle arms in front of himself while the two of you talk.  
  
"I-it might just take the whole Guild working t-together to tire you out."  
  
"Yeah, you said you had a Guild. Are you with the Espurr that arrived here?"  
  
Shaking your head, you correct him.  
  
"No, no. I- I've met her though. I- we, my Guild is from Stepstone."  
  
You take a pause to drink some more of the juice. It's energizing, and you can feel strength returning to your limbs. The effects diminishing your refractory period don't help with the pent up feeling you still have.  
  
"S-so you wanted to another round?"  
  
"I think I can handle one more."  
  
Percy turns around and squeezes his backside out of his shell, presenting it to you. There's only the one hole underneath, where his genitalia withdrew into.  
  
"What would you like to happen next?"  
  
>Take him from behind  
>Get oral  
>Have him top again

* * *

  * >Get oral
    * Second this 
  * Can't we have more than one option?  
>get oral + have him top again  
  
If there's enough flexibility for that. 
  * Honestly, I feel like whatever we choose, he'll probably end up on top if we taunt him into it. 
  * I’d rather give oral than take, but let’s get mouthy. 
  * Oral

Also if and when we get the chance, try giving him the slime mold equivalent of a handjob. Wrap one of his weird plasmodial dick things around a finger with the buzz on full blast and see what happens. Low-key turn this into a dick tingling contest. 

    * Seconding this 



* * *

You consider the rear end on offer, but you really can't seem to get it up to top.  
  
"I- w-would you mind g-giving some oral?"  
  
"Not a problem."  
  
Squeezing his butt back into his shell, Percy turns to face you and crawls up to position himself alongside your tail. His long, flexible neck cranes down and a pink tongue slides out to lick along your slit. That's all the coaxing your desperate dick needs to pop back out, poking him in the cheek.  
  
"D-do you think you could move your butt over h-here?"  
  
While he laps his tongue up and down your length, Percy slides himself back out of his shell, leaving it resting beside you, and twists around to present you with his goods.  
  
With one claw you reach up and rub at his entrance, turning on your fingers to get him worked up again. He wraps his mouth around the end of your dick and hums, the vibrations and tingling juices making your dick twitch and leak another gob of pre.  
  
The small white strands poke out of Percy's own slit, wrapping around your claw of their own accord and enjoying the sensation. Since he seems to like it you pump it up to the max.  
  
Whole body shuddering, Percy answers your technique by diving down, taking all of you inside his throat at once. His head proves to be just as flexible as the rest of him, as he stretches further. Once again his body molds against your own and his head fills the crevices of your cockslit.  
  
>Murdoch Lewd: Disadvantage, Round 2, Overstimulation (16, 9/14)  
>Percy Lewd: Round 2, Magic Fingers (7/14)  
This time there is no stimulation throughout your body to lessen the impact he has on your dick. No sooner has he gone down on your completely, than your aching blue balls finally erupt with everything they have stored away.  
  
Percy cums at the same time, unable to hold out against the influence of your touch. His little hyphoid penises expand all at once, spraying white spunk all over you.

With no gag reflex to speak of Percy systematically gulps down your entire load as your dick keeps pulsing. He doesn't pull back up until you're dry. His penises shrink down after they coat you and the floor, retreating back inside their cavity.

With a final popping sound, Percy pulls free of your dick, which is remarkably clean. He wipes a small dribble from his mouth while you shrink down.

"That touch is something else. Is that what it feels like when I get others off?"

"P-p-probably."

You sigh out, breathing heavily. That time wasn't as exhausting without the full body treatment, but after two orgasms your dick is feeling sore and worn out. At the same time you finally feel relief, and the pressure built up from Spring's teasing is gone.

As you enjoy the afterglow, Percy grabs the cloth again to clean things up.

"That was fun. You know, Guild requests usually have a reward. I didn't have one listed but how would you like some baking to take with you?"

"S-sure, yeah! We're t-traveling to Tallspire. Is it o- okay if I request something good fo- for eating on the road?"

"I've got a few kinds of bread that should last okay. I'll pack you a bag with samples of each."

After you get cleaned up and down the rest of the Oran juice, Percy shells up and helps you down the stairs so you don't stumble or take a fall. The two of you go out into the shop and he takes down the sign that says he's away on break, unlocking the door.

While he's packing a paper bag with bread, Spring and Gwen poke their heads inside. Gwen gives a sniff and pushes her way in, walking over to smell the sex on you.

"Hrm. Quest go good?"

"Y-yeah. I got some food."

Spring comes in as well and leans up against the wall, crossing her arms and smirking.

"I expected to hear stuff, but not you laughing like a maniac. What the heck did you do to him?"

She asks jokingly, to Percy. He smoothly responds.

"If you come back sometime, maybe I'll demonstrate." 

* * *

  * Well, time to go to Tallspire, then! Make a mental note to remember Enzo and his baking supplies. 
  * Thank Percy for his time, try to make innuendo if you can. Ask Spring and Gwen how long they stayed outside/what they did while we were busy. 



* * *

Percy passes the bag of food to you over the counter and you take it, settling it into your back.  
  
"T-thanks Percy. You really know h-how to make a guy's dough rise."  
  
He manages to keep a straight face, but Spring snickers behind you.  
  
"You're not so bad yourself. Let me know when you get that bakery running, I'd love to try some of what you make."  
  
"D-didn't you already?"  
  
You tease on your way out with a wave.  
  
Outside you regroup with the girls on either side. Gwen brushes her head up against you and you give her some scratches under the chin.  
  
"T-time to go to the big city. Also, I l-learned about someone who can g-get me baking supplies there."  
  
Bumping you with a hip, Spring takes the initiative and takes the lead down the street while Gwen is busy enjoying your scritches.  
  
"You just make friends everywhere you go, don't you?"  
  
"G-gotta get famous somehow."  
  
Gwen opens an eye and sees Spring walking She gets up and urges you forward, and you join her as she reminds.  
  
"No forget. We look for proof for fake bounty."  
  
The cobblestone road stretches out beyond Windmill Village between tall walls of grass. The next leg of the journey is underway.

* * *

  * There must be strict rules keeping past competitors like King from interfering in the current competition. Ask Spring if she knows anything about that since it's looking like we're going to be on bad terms with the guy. I'm guessing he couldn't just have us arrested for pissing him off, even if he is the king. And guild members being immune to the charm is nice, but it seems like it could still be used against us pretty easily. We'll have to ask Hoopa when we can if she doesn't know much. 



* * *

Behind the two girls, you walk along the rough and primitive road to Tallspire. The tower of the castle the town is named for is visible in the distance. Knowing who is inside fills you with a feeling of unease, like you're about to stick your claws into a beehive.  
  
"Spring?"  
  
You get her attention, and the fire monkey turns to confidently walk backwards.  
  
"What do you need, shrimp?"  
  
"D-do you know anything about the former winners, or- or what they do? What they're allowed t-to do?"  
  
Sticking her tongue into her cheek and rubbing at the inside in thought, Spring rests her hands on her hips and looks up at the sky.  
  
"I haven't gone out of my way to learn much about it. Usually if you meet someone who's evolved, they're a former guild member, and they're not supposed to join new guilds."  
  
Gwen chooses this moment to interrupt in her deep, gruff voice.  
  
"Persephone."  
  
She doesn't pronounce the name exactly right, but you get what she means. Spring looks at her curiously.  
  
"Persephone. Is Flapple. She live in village."  
  
You recall meeting her, outside Victor's library. According to Victor she studies Pokemon fossils and the Archen boy he likes helps her gather them.  
  
"I- is she a former guild member or leader?"  
  
You think Victor would have mentioned it if she was someone important. But maybe he didn't know if the King kept him to himself.  
  
Gwen only offers a helpless shake of her head at your question. Her ears bob from side to side.  
  
"Use to be guild. Not know how."  
  
"Guess you have someone to ask then. Bet there are more in Tallspire but who knows who used to work with King, right?"  
  
Spring turns on her heel to resume walking forward just in time to step around a signpost announcing your group's arrival at the town limits. The sign guarantees no Mystery Dungeons have been found in the safe area around the settlement.

A lot like around the Windmill Village the grass fields have been trimmed and cleared to make room for buildings. You can see berry orchards and vineyards on either side of the road, which gets nicer and better paved as you go.

The buildings are look like they were modeled after medieval fantasy. The road ends at a short idyllic bridge over a stream and on the other side is the first time you felt like you were in a real city since you got here.

There are blocks of buildings in concentric rings around the castle at the center. Pokemon of every shape and Type are walking the streets and more of them wear accessories and pieces of clothing than in the smaller villages.

A Ledian with a metal helmet and spear stands next to the other side of the bridge when you get there. She looks like the type of city guard you would see in one of your video games back home.

"What brings you to Tallspire?"

She asks when the three of you pass by. Her casual posture and voice don't make it seem like she's stopping you for being suspicious. If you had to guess she's just bored from standing guard all day and looking for conversation. 

* * *

  * >ledian  
Oh no.
  * Introduce ourselves as the Hoopa guild and say we're here about some bounties. 
  * One of the weakest Pokémon in the history of the franchise is a guard? Man, I wish our alignment was meaner because we could loot this place for all it's worth and be set for the rest of the quest.

OK hear me out. We loot the place, and we get a bounty placed on us, but we build a giant trap-laden fort so when the other contestants come for us we beat them and capture them and win by default by being the only ones left. Or I guess we could just ask for bounties. 

    * As much fun as that idea sounds, the snag is being able to loot the place. Murdoch is a sexual light weight. If he get's pinned we're cooked. 



* * *

You slip past the two girls ahead of you to introduce yourself before Spring can get a chance. After all, you are still the official leader.

"H-hello miss. We're the Hoopa Guild, and w-we're here for some bounties."

"Anan bring. We catch Gastly."

Announces Gwen after you. The ledian guard smiles and directs you down the street to your right, behind her.

"Right! Anan told me to give the Guild a messag when they came. The bounty office is just that way around the bend, can't miss it. They have a reward waiting."

"T-thank you miss."

The three of you part ways with the guardbug and follow her directions. She waves as you leave. Down the curving road that follows the stream you see the building she described. It is boxy and intimidating looking and marked by a no nonsense sign that says it's the jail.

Judging by the size it must only be a small jail for holding minor offenders or prisoners waiting for transfer, like the holding cells in a police precinct.

Inside is a clinical, cold grey building. The layout reminds you of sheriff offices in old westerns. There is a bounty board on the wall, barred off jail cells in the back and the jailer's desk. Behind it sits an intimidating Lairon, who fixes you with the most terrifying look when you enter. Behind her in one of the jail cells the Gastly's bottle is sitting on a wooden bench.

The jailer doesn't greet you, waiting to see whether you're there for her or for the board. 

* * *

  * Same deal, collect the bounty. Also inform her that they'll have to rescind the bounty for the Morgrem as he's joined another guild. Depending how that goes we can also check out the bounty board afterwards and see if they have anything different on offer here. 
  * Curious about the Lairon, but I don't think we have a good reason to be nosy yet. 



* * *

You go up to the desk and stand up on your hind legs to see over it.

"P-pardon me. We're the Hoopa Guild and w-we came here to collect the bounty for the g-ghost."

There is a metal plate on the desk with what you assume is her name, Cree written on it. When she speaks you're expecting it to be sharp and fierce, but she's a lot quieter than she looks. That steely gaze must be her resting face.

"I've been expecting someone here about that. The Hoopa Guild are you?"

She tilts her head to the side and gets a look at you and your guild members.

"Usually those end up being really quirky. What's your gimmick?"

Spring bumps you with her hip and taunts you playfully.

"Well, why don't you tell her your gimmick."

While the two of you remain at the desk Gwen goes to inspect the bounty board. Cree pulls a chest trunk out from under her desk with her mouth and nudges it open. With one claw she picks up a bundled bag of berries and tosses it over. Spring catches it readily.

Inside are a bluk berry, a shuca berry, and a kasib berry.

"This is the reward for bringing in that troublemaking specter. Thanks you guys."

Gwen returns with a couple of new posters and holds them out to you with her mouth. You take them and take a look. One is a black and white Zigzagoon named Hustle who is wanted to dealing illegal substances. It says he fled towards the desert. The other one is for a group of Pokemon who is dragging others away to a Mystery Dungeon to take advantage of them.

While you read you try to broach a bit of an awkward topic.

"S-so about that Morgrem bounty. It'll have to b-be taken down. He joined another guild."

Cree's eyes widen in surprise. She huffs in frustration.

"He did what? Who? I hate it when crooks use Guilds as a free pass." 

* * *

  * Saying we're against the king is probably a bad move since everyone loves him and may be charmed. Tell her there was no crime listed on the bounty and we used patron abilities to determine he was innocent of any wrongdoing before he was accepted by the Mesprit guild.  
As for the gimmick, flash her our guild card and admit to being a hopeless slut. 
  * I'm curious what the last guild's gimmick was. I'm also curious about those illegal substances. What would have to be banned in this setting? 
  * Say it was another guild you were partnered up with, but since disbanded. Don't be too specific, make it sound like you've been with your fair share of other Pokemon. Which in your defense, is totally true.

As for the bounty, that Mystery Dungeon one sounds good. We've been laid back and taking it easy too long, we could use a challenge, and with two big fighters now they could use the workout. 

  * Oh shit, Hustle is the Zigzagoon the Morgrem helped escape. He specifically only dealt in legal substances according to the Morgrem. 



* * *

You cough and poke your foreclaws together.  
  
"W-we tested him with the Mesprit Guild's p-patron abilities. And w-we found he was actually innocent."  
  
Letting out a heavy sigh, Cree calms herself down.  
  
"Alright. Still would be nice to be able to see proof, but Guilds do what they do."  
  
Trying to move the conversation away you take out your Guild Card and show it to her. Next to you you can practically feel Spring smirk at the look on Cree's face.  
  
"T-the gimmick is Hoopa makes all our fetishes p-public and... a-and I'm kind of a hopeless slut."  
  
Your straightforwardness catches her off guard and she remains speechless. Gwen speaks up, seemingly to tease you.  
  
"Is true. When we meet, he cum on my face."  
  
Spring snorts out a sudden laugh of shock.  
  
"Seriously? How did that happen?"  
  
"D-do, um, do you know what the last Hoopa Guild's g-gimmick was?"  
  
Shrinking back down a little behind the desk, you instinctively conceal your blush even though it can't be seen through your dark scales. You feel a little ache down below but it's too soon after that exhausting session with Percy and you don't accidentally get hard.  
  
Clearing her throat, Cree ignores your revelation and gladly accepts the change of topic.  
  
"Nothing like that. They were a traveling circus, and apparently kept pranking and stealing from the other Guilds."  
  
From what you know of Hoopa's other abilities you can imagine how they were used for that.  
  
"B-by the way what k-kind of substances are illegal?"  
  
You put Hustle's bounty on the table for her to see.  
  
"Certain kinds of berry concentrates are controlled because of their side effects."  
  
"Like that belue juice I had the other night. It's not illegal, but it has its own side effects. When you' drink belue you get really, really mindmeltingly good orgasms."  
  
Spring describes in a husky voice, causing Cree to shift back and forth a little.

"Right. Only some are more serious. Sitrus is strong medicine, but it makes you extremely vulnerable to hypnosis and possession. Some can cause body parts to grow or shrink for a while, and Pokemon use high concentrations to, well. You can imagine."  
  
"S-so this Hustle guy was selling p-powerful controlled berry concentrations?"  
  
Cree confirms it with a slow nod of her heavy steel head.  
  
"Without a license or any kind of official regulation, sometimes with other things mixed in. We have an apothecary in town where you can get these berry potions legally. It was really undercutting her business too."  
  
You show the girls the post for the Mystery Dungeon the bangers are using as their base.  
  
"D-do you think we can handle this?"  
  
"I think we probably can. Gwen and I are badasses, after all. You'd just be icing on the cake."  
  
Spring answers eagerly, looking across you to Gwen.  
  
"Yes. Bad Pokemon. We should stop them."  
  
You quickly recall where you heard that Zigzagoon's name before. It sounds like everyone thinks he was a crook, but Ester seemed to think he only dealt in safe things.  
  
The King might be using misinformation again to post a fake bounty.

* * *

  * Yeah, it doesn't sound particularly important. Though I guess we could steal his stash for our own use if we take him down since it's only illegal to sell. Can't go on babby missions forever, the mystery dungeon one sounds a bit more suitable for a party of at least 2 good fighters. 
  * Praise Gwen for teasing us. I didn't know she had it in her. Blame Hoopa for the incident though. He almost certainly meant for that to happen.  
There's not much we can do about the Zigzagoon short of hunting him down and adding him to our guild or dumping him on the Mesprit guild's doorstep. Let's take on the gang in the mystery dungeon. 
  * Weird unrelated topic but get a look at Spring’s teeth as she smiles. Some monkeys are more molars, some are mostly sharp canines. The oral fetishist in me is curious as to what she has. 
  * Since guilds are basically above the law, does that mean if we can recruit the zigzagoon, break bad, and start selling odd berry concentrates for hella cash? Sweet.

She's an evolved type. Ask if she was part of a guild in the past or is she simply big and strong from her own efforts. Either way, manning a jailhouse alone is impressive and given Murdoch's company I think he is developing a type for strong women. Though the atmosphere here isn't very conducive to Murdoch's brand of making friends. Would be nice to give the Gastly a second show, so to speak.

  * So then Spring was flirting with him by offering a drink when she grabbed the horny juice or she was just trying to fuck with him by getting him horny by surprise? I guess Gwen's overreaction to Spring giving Murdoch a drink was reasonable hindsight. Though it make you wonder how many pokemon they picked up that way in the past. 
  * Don't forget to use the magic fingers ~~  
Actually, now that I think about it, we might have to regulate those. We used them on Michael and nothing came of it (or out of it)... 
    * >Regulate the magic fingers  
Joy buzzer or slight of hand? With that thick, metal hide the tinglies may not even reach her unless he gets under them. Alternatively, she has a big mouth that wouldn't be terribly hard to slip a berry in to get her in the mood to shake the earth.  
Speaking of. Is there a back of this bulletin board too?
  * We have to meet Enzo for our cookware before we leave the town. I know we don't have any money, but at the very least we could bother to introduce ourselves and scope out the place... Maybe even... find an, erm, "alternative" way to pay ?

On a more serious note, we need to contact Hoopa for him to give us the LoreDump on the King and his cronies. Or anyone old enough to be in the know, that we run into, really.

We could also visit the library and pizza parlor that Victor told us about, though I doubt there'd be much to do. 

    * I really thought about having Murdoch snatch Michael and give him a full-body kneading with the magic fingers, but it seemed like there was a good chance he wouldn't appreciate that. 
      * That doesn't really fall in the range of cutedom to me.if only Michael was more forward... 
      * After Murdoch was incredibly forward (and drunk) yet still couldn't find an opening the next step would have to be >rape  
But then Larrisa probably would have sensed the bad vibes and went all psychic explosion or something.
  * Anyway how do we prepare for the mystery rape dungeon? Gwen and Spring are pretty hardcore but we fucking suck at this, we'll get dommed by the first thing that crosses our path. 
    * Beat them at their own game by... -beating them (off)- / overstimaulating and exhausting them with the magic fingers. We haven't seen the potential of the fingers as a weapon yet; only as a tool of pleasure. Even if we're not able to do that the sting might be able to distract them, especially if combined with a Sweet Scent.

Otherwise, Murdoch is usually crafty enough to find some clever alternative to fighting. 

    * There is a legal apothecary in town where he can stock up on virility and hog enhancements, if that's what you mean. 
    * I'm willing to bet he's actually pretty strong now, in his own way. We have the multi-hit fitness attack now, which will be significantly better than any of his other attacks and pairs really well with the fingers. Add in Sweet Scent and we have enough horniness inducing potential to incapacitate anyone in a one-on-one fight. Even if his damage is underwhelming we really only need to distract enemies while Gwen and Spring wreck them. 
  * Ah, I also forgot... to add to my post... that we need to find some place to stay for the night. Also, out of interest, does Tallspire have its own guild?



* * *

Out of curiosity you lift up the bulletin board against the wall the see if there are any lewd requests scribbled on the back, but there aren't any. Cree doesn't seem to understand what you're doing, but Spring has a wide smirk plastered on her face and Gwen is giving you a... not disappointed, but curious look.  
  
You get a look at Spring's teeth when she bares them in her smirk. They has some pronounced canines, but not all of her teeth are sharp and pointy unlike Gwen's.  
  
"C-cree? Do you mind if I c-call you that?"  
  
"It is my name."  
  
"Oh, um, y-yeah, right. S-so um, did you used to be in a Guild?"  
  
The question makes Cree break into a grin, and her teeth look like a chainsaw at rest. You quietly make a note that lairon blowjobs are dangerous business.  
  
"You bet I was. Mew's Guild, two contests ago. Found I really liked keeping bad people off the street. Now here I am."  
  
Gwen grunts in approval. You can tell from her subtle expression she's taken a liking to this girl now.  
  
"W-well this gang in the r-rape dungeon sounds d-dangerous. I think with t-two experienced fighters we can t-take it."  
  
"Good luck."  
  
You exit the bounty office along with your partners and playfully scritch Gwen under her chin.  
  
"It's cute when you t-tease me. I like it. A-and um, that was actually Hoopa's fault. He t-totally meant for that to happen."  
  
Cheeky as always Spring can't help but get a word in.  
  
"So what, Hoopa just decided to fluff you up a bit before sending you on your way?"  
  
"Y-yeah kind of."  
  
The fact that Hoopa's as much of a perv as you are comes as a surprise to her, but she quickly regains her stride.  
  
"Sounds like a fun guy."

"B-by the way, were you um, f-flirting with me when you offered me that berry juice? Since it can c-cause lewd things."  
  
"Maybe a little. Mostly to mess with Gwen, but I don't need to do that anymore. And also I just like the juice."  
  
The monkey shrugs her shoulders in a noncommittal gesture.  
  
"Playing around with berry side effects can be fun though. Especially when you make a game out of it."  
  
"Maybe we try sometime."  
  
Gwen offers, and Spring joins you in giving her a bit of affection with a scratch behind the ear.  
  
"Break in the reborn friendship with some benefits? Murdoch must be rubbing off on you."  
  
Before you go wandering into a dungeon you decide to find Enzo's place. Percy said he was close to the bridge so you must not be far.  
  
Directions from some passing Pokemon send you to the curve on the other side of the bridge. Sure enough there's a metalworks shop there. The door is just a swinging door and you can feel the heat swelling from inside when you get close. Gwen stops and backs away, taking a seat.  
  
"Too hot. Wait here."  
  
"You think that's too hot you should wait and see what two fire types can do."  
  
Spring quips behind her while she leads the way inside. Gwen growls sensually, almost more like a cat purring.  
  
The inside of the smithy is as you expected. There's a prominent forge where a charizard in an apron is heating a piece of metal for some kind of tool. There are pieces of merchandise on the wall, like hammers and hedge cutters, even just buckets.

* * *

  * Talk to the charizard. Say we're interested in getting cookware for our guild. Inquire about shipping and payment. They said they use money, but we were paid in berries for the bounty. 
  * Introduce ourselves, magic touch, etc. 



* * *

Going up to him and waving to get his attention, you get one of his claws raised to tell you to wait. Backing away you wait as he pulls out the piece of metal and starts hammering it into shape. Sparks fly, but neither he nor Spring seem to be concerned. Everyone in the room is a Fire Type.

It looks like he's making some kind of wall hanging torch mount. The loud ringing of the hammer eventually fades as he finishes what he was doing and sets the project to cool.

Enzo lays down his hammer and walks over. Charizard are human sized, which means he towers over both you and Spring. The giant fire lizard holds out a claw as big as your body and speaks in a too loud voice from years of hammers ringing in the ears.

"Welcome to Enzo's metalworks? What can I do ya for?"

You take hold of one of his fingers and let your own do their work, which causes him to shiver a little.

"Huh. That's quite the touch you have there, kid."

"T-thanks."

You let go as he pulls his claw back and rubs it, looking at his finger bewildered.

"S-so um, Percy referred me to you. He s-said you made him an oven and cookware and um, well, I- my Guild is just starting up. I was wondering, h-how much this costs."

Pulling his eyes away from his finger, Ezno settles on you. His gaze is friendly and cheerful.

"A Guild looking for startup? Lucky you, I just so happen to give new Guilds a discount."

The good news has your tail unconsciously sliding back and forth across the floor. Then you remember you can't afford even the cheapest things.

"T-the problem is, um, I have no money. J-just berries right now. Maybe I could d-do you a favor?"

You try your best to wink seductively. Enzo keeps his cool and doesn't seem to pick up on your vibes. Instead he densely agrees.

"Sure! I have a few deliveries you could do for me, my assistants are busy taking something out of town. That way I can keep working on my commissions. The castle gardener is waiting for new garden shears, and once this light fixture finishes it goes to the apothecary's place."

"W-what would that get me?"

"For a delivery I could give you some pots and pans, cookware stuff. The oven I can't just give away, that would be 300 Poke after the discount. Could sell some of those berries to the apothecary if you need the money."

Spring puts her paw on her hip.

"I think Murdoch was hoping the favor would me more along the lines of your first offer."

"First offer?"

Enzo asks, unaware of the verbal opening he left when introducing himself. 

* * *

  * Charizard would split any of them in two, best not risk it.  
Surprised our prior bounty had a reward of berries instead of cash. Do the others list cash or supplies as their reward? The lewd bounty ended in food too, so Murdoch is not yet a prostitute, technically, I think. Though the 300 shouldn't be too hard to get together even without selling himself. 
  * Ask if he can think of anywhere else Murdoch's touch would feel especially good. 



* * *

Curious you take a look at the bounty posting again. On the back there is a reward listing for 100 Poke per outlaw caught from the gang. If you can get everybody and bring them back it would be a nice payout.  
  
"I think I can g-get that much together. D-do you think you'd be able to deliver it t-to Stepstone Village?"  
  
"Of course. I have some assistants who bring things out to other towns for me, just have to wait until they come back from their current job."  
  
"Is there anywhere t-that my fingers would feel especially good?"  
  
You lean forwards and arch your back, wiggling your tail up in the air. Enzo reaches up and runs a claw along the horns coming from the back of his head.  
  
"You know it's been a while since I had a good horn massage. I could toss in some cutlery if you feel like it."  
  
Spring fights back the urge to say something, and lets Enzo remain oblivious for now. She bumps you with her hip.  
  
"Why don't you give him a rub? Sounds like you'll get a nice spoon in return."

* * *

  * He may be dense, but that can't last too long with the magic fingers on him. Give him his massage. 
  * Yeah we could massage your horns, your feet, or even someplace directly between those two. If you'll work steel for us, working your steel is not a problem. Hint, hint.  
  
>"Why don't you give him a rub? Sounds like you'll get a nice spoon in return."  
I'll spoon you!  
Ah, even spooning seems unlikely with Enzo right now. That's fine though. Maybe he hasn't caught on because he's into girls and it is Spring's time to shine.
  * Uh, after this massage... we're still going to take the delivery jobs, right? 



* * *

You playfully bump Spring back and whisper to her,  
  
"I'll spoon you."  
  
Before she can keep it going you get your word in edgewise and gladly accept Enzo's offer.  
  
"D-definitely. I'll massage your horns, y-year feet or even s-somewhere in between those. Y-you work our steel, we work your steel, l-like that back scratching thing."  
  
Enzo steps away from the forge and takes a seat next to his counter so that you can climb onto it to reach the back of his head. You use your clingy lizard claws to drag yourself up and take a seat behind him, straddling the back of his neck.  
  
Realizing you might pop a boner, you rethink it and scoot back a little. At least until he gets aroused first. Then your accidental boners are fair game.  
  
Pulling herself up down the counter Spring sits and watches your performance, not making any moves and leaving it to you.  
  
"You know if you keep this up you'll start to get a reputation... as a masseuse."  
  
"M-maybe. We're still doing the d-delivery job after this."  
  
Letting the sensation of Hoopa's power flow into your fingers you take hold of the bases of Enzo's horns and start suggestively running your claws up and down them. You keep the power low for now, so you don't overload or startle him.  
  
>Murdoch Lewd: Disadvantage, Fingers Advantage (7/10)  
Enzo hums, you can feel the sensation the back of his neck against your feet. He's enjoying the stroking, but you peek down and see no hints of him pitching a tent in his apron.  
  
Your junior on the other hand can't help but start to peek out under your kilt. It doesn't help when Spring reaches over and starts to stroke a sensitive spot at the base of your tail, holding one finger just barely touching it and tracing patterns on your back. She looks to be enjoying you squirm and try not to alert Enzo.  
  
"You've done massage jobs before?"  
  
The bigger fire lizard asks you, still innocently enjoying your ministrations.

* * *

  * Our guild is focused on bounties, but we've been told we have magic claws want to use them to make pokemon all over feel good. Spring is probably right. By the time this competition is over we'll be very well known for our 'massages'. 
  * Only once or twice, really... We should probably respond with an innuendo to see if he gets it. (But he won't.)

Spring is interfering but in a slightly-bad-maybe-very-good way. If we asked her to stop she'd probably go further, so we'll just have to accept that fate. 

  * Uh, yes. But it's hard when everyone is such a different shape so I have to get lots of practice. Do you mind if I branch out from the horns and work on your neck too? It's so long and thicker than anyone I've been with. Oh, but I can work your horn in the other hand or focus all my attention to it. It's your call.

Have Murdoch try running the magic touch through his feet if we haven't already. 




* * *

"Oh, o-only once or twice. But I've been told I have m-magic claws. So I- I want to make Pokemon all over feel g-good... all over."  
  
"D-do you mind if I um, branch out and work on your neck and shoulders? You're- it's just so l-long, and thicker than anyone I've been with. I'd love t- to practice on people of different shapes. I can even uh, use my feet. And keep going up here with my hands."  
  
"Sure. Go ahead."  
  
Enzo's voice has a slight moan to it. You run your hindclaws up and down the back of his neck and rub into his shoulders, letting your magical touch flow down through them as well.  
  
When you don't protest to her sensual touches at the base of your tail, Spring pulls her hand back. At first you think she's stopping until you look over and see her sucking on her finger. Drawing the digit out of her mouth, she slips her hand under your tail and slides over so that it's hidden behind the two of you. Without a word, she wiggles her eyebrows suggestively to see if you want her to keep going.  
  
Even though Enzo is unaware of Spring's lewdness he could look back at any time at your suspicious position. Would he even understand?  
  
>Murdoch Lewd: Disadvantage, Fingers Advantage (13/10)  
Spurred on by Spring's brazen antics you let your fingers and toes turn up and send pleasurable tingles down through Enzo's body. Now he seems to be feeling it, wiggling in his seat. He smooths out the front of his apron with his claws, but you can't see any tent peaking yet. He has an impressive resistance to lewdness.  
  
>Give Spring the go ahead  
>Tell her no

* * *

  * I wouldn't exactly disagree with her actions, but she could stand to learn the value of subtlety... in taking things slower and waiting for our draconic partner to... get used to the... stimulation. I think... 
  * We can't risk it until this guy is stiff. We need him to think it's his fault when things go lewd and there's a good chance Murdoch will blow on his back if things go too far too soon. 
  * Tell Spring no but play it off like she is just getting jealous that Murdoch is paying attention to another pokemon instead of trying to probe his butt.

There's got to be someplace sensitive he can reach from here without being too obvious. Perhaps the wings or try rubbing his tail like Spring was doing earlier. 'Slipping' and running the magic down his back full bore is excusable at least once. 

  * I'd suggest sweet scent to finally get him in the zone, but the last time we tried it it was too obvious. Still, the idea should be worth a try. 
  * Rub your rump against her hand. Try not to cum prematurely but make it 100% clear here and now your entire body is on-limits. Spring and Gwen WILL remember that and even if it botches the massage, the long term benefits far outway the downsides. 
  * What if we zapped Spring back in order to get her to stop? 



* * *

With Spring's finger probing under your tail you have a difficult time concentrating, and your massage along Enzo's neck slows down. If he notices he could look back, and you're already getting hard in your kilt.  
  
Subtly, you shake your head at Spring. She edges her hand back out from under your rump and makes a pouting face.  
  
"N-no need to get jealous, I c-can still give you a massage later."  
  
Reaching out, you give her a consoling rub on the shoulder without turning off the fingers. A shiver runs through her and she has to bite her lip to avoid making a sound.  
  
Enzo looks back behind him and you tuck up behind your legs to hide your erection.  
  
"Is everything okay?"  
  
"J-just great, n-nothing's wrong."  
  
You take both claws and get back to work. The neck isn't doing a lot to get him hot and bothered. Getting an idea, you inch towards the edge of the counter and perch yourself at it.  
  
Pretending it's by accident you fall off the edge and slide down between Enzo's back and the counter, letting your fingers trail their magic all the way down. The sensation running down has Enzo arch his back and you slide past his wings, landing on the base of his tail with your hands on his huge hips.  
  
"O-oh, I slipped!"  
  
You give his hips a little rub and admire how smooth he is. Enzo is at first speechless. You think you're starting to get at him, because you see him adjust his apron.  
  
"Sorry about that. Let me help you back up."  
  
He turns to look behind him, craning his neck over his shoulder. You can see a subtle blush around his cheeks and horns.  
  
>Get helped back up  
>Stay here

* * *

  * >stay here  
We'll have to get lower eventually anyways.
  * Stay low. Better access to the big guy's goods here. Between the two, Murdoch is the tiny and cute one so he's got to dom up or Charizard is going to keep being elusive. 
  * But how are we going to justify staying low to Enzo? It'll be weird without an explanation... 
    * We were already working our way down to around his neck and shoulders anyways. This is just continuing down his back like a proper massage would. 



* * *

"D-don't worry. I was going to w-work my way down eventually. Y-you see, a massage usually goes d-down the back all the way."  
  
"Oh. Alright, let me make it easier for you."  
  
Leaning forwards, Enzo lowers himself down onto the ground, lying on his belly. You slide forward, bumping into his wings again. You don't think he noticed your erection since he never said anything.  
  
Turning around on his lower back you massage the base and up his tail, hoping proximity to his naughty bits has more of an effect. Spring sits on the edge of the counter above and watches the flame on the end of Enzo's tail flicker and dance.  
  
>Murdoch Lewd: Disadvantage, Fingers Advantage (11, 17)  
You catch Enzo's hips underneath you wriggling a little bit and he slightly lifts up his lower end. He might finally be starting to pop a stiffy and need more room for it.  
  
Feeling a little thrill at being the one in control, you stretch out to get a look under his tail while you keep working your claws. With his tail raised while you rub it you can see his butt, and a genital slit underneath it with some of his large pink shaft poking out.  
  
Enzo has his eyes closed and despite his blush he's just relaxing still.

* * *

  * do not Touch the slit. I don't think we've crossed that bridge yet. 
  * Not too forward until he's forced to acknowledge his own arousal. Let Murdoch's hind claws work around the tail/butt/thigh region while his front ones carry on with the back. 
  * Add a bit more pressure so he can't readjust so easily. Perhaps Spring would enjoy walking on his back so he has to rub against the floor to get off or else flip over to expose his girth for the two of them. 



* * *

Hoping to force Enzo to realize for himself rather than force it, you turn back around and use your hindclaws to keep a hold on his tail's base. You stretch forward down his back like a cat, working your touch up his torso until you get to the base of his wings and start to massage those.  
  
"Oh!"  
  
Enzo's tail stretches out upwards, almost knocking Spring back in her seat on the counter.  
  
"Careful with the wings there, that tickles. Erm."  
  
Enzo looks back and realizes his rump is up in the air, practically mooning Spring.  
  
"Sorry about that. I uh, think this massage is getting me a little..."  
  
He carefully lifts himself back up from his belly, pulling his apron back down with a bulge underneath. You slide back, landing straddling the base of his tail again.  
  
"Well this is embarrassing. Um, the massage was nice though! I think that's enough for the cutlery I promised."  
  
You don't stop, rubbing up and down the sides of his belly as far as your claws can stretch. You keep up the pressure and his erection twitches under his apron.  
  
"D-don't be embarrassed. We can keep going, if- if you want."  
  
>Murdoch Charm: (12/10)  
Enzo covers his face with his other claw and groans into his palm.  
  
"Your massage is really nice. But I don't want you to feel uncomfortable."

* * *

  * A lizard doodle is nothing he hasn't seen before. Why is Enzo being so weird about a perfectly fine massage? Tell you what, Murdoch will just keep going until Enzo says stop. Masseuse is given free reign to touch anything he is comfortable with so no one has to feel uncomfortable.

Grab his dick with your tail. 

    * World's most inexperienced tail-job. 
  * Pretend there's a difference of culture and act flattered. Where we come from, this is considered the highest compliment to a masseuse. In fact, we are obligated to ensure it's taken care of before the massage ends, lest we leave the client uncomfortable and unrelaxed, failing our duty. 



* * *

"It- actually i-it's pretty flattering. Where I come from this is a- a really high compliment to a masseuse."  
  
"Really? You don't think it's weird at all?"  
  
Your tail coils around his, but his is too thick for you to reach any of the goods. You give Enzo an encouraging little scritch around the sides of his belly.   
  
"N-no way. I feel obligated to t-take care of it even, a masseuse who leaves a client feeling so un- unrelaxed hasn't done a good job."  
  
Spring is loving your performance and giggling behind you.  
  
>Enzo Lewd: (2/10)  
>Murdoch Charm: Arousal Advantage (20, 2/10)  
"I mean, I don't want you to feel bad. I've just never really done anything like this before."  
  
You can hear and feel the tension and resistance melting out of Enzo as he relaxes.  
  
"H-how about, I just keep going a-and if you say to stop I'll stop?"  
  
"Sure. Yeah, okay. I should just- lock the door."  
  
Enzo gets up off the floor with you still straddling his tail and locks the door to make sure nobody interrupts your private session.  
  
"Well I hope you don't want me to just sit here and watch?"  
  
Spring says, tilting forwards in her seat eagerly.  
  
Sliding off of his tail, you move around up front to take stock of what you have to work with. His thick shaft is about as wide around as you are. There's no way it's going anywhere inside you or Spring. Enzo looks down at you with a mixture of anticipation and apprehension.

* * *

  * Lift up the apron and invite Spring to join you under the curtain 
  * Double team kiss and lick his dong 
  * Tell Spring to put that mouth to some real use, work your way to using your magic hands to work the base of the shaft, get Spring to use that tongue on the tip. Time to work like a Party. 
  * Hug to pin the thing between Murdoch and Spring's chests. Then while those two make-out with the tip and each other, have Enzo lift them up and down to frot himself at a comfortable pace. If Enzo slows down too much Murdoch can give him a jolt of pleasure to keep him from cooling off or we get Spring to step on his balls and put her eager fingers to work in that lizard hole, depending on whether Enzo is more a carrot or stick type of guy. 
  * Anything we try will work better with sweet scent. Warn Enzo then use it. 



* * *

"Do you m-mind if I light some incense?"  
  
You offer, looking up at Enzo. He thinks it over and then shakes his head.  
  
"No, I don't mind. That's fine."  
  
With his permission you allow your Sweet Scent to slowly fill the room. The heat of the forge only seems to amplify the heady aroma, and Enzo's cock twitches as it reaches his nostrils.  
  
Reaching up to lift his apron, you get a waft of his own masculine scent. You invite Spring inside with a suave wave of the claw.  
  
"L-ladies first."  
  
She walks up and flicks you on the nose as she ducks underneath.  
  
"Don't be a dork about it."  
  
Spring wraps her arms around is wide length and runs her hands up and down. You take a position on the opposite side and mirror her motions, rubbing against it,  
  
"Y-you can rub us up and down if you w-w-want."  
  
"I'm not so sure this is a massage anymore."  
  
Enzo rubs the back of his neck.  
  
"I'm fine, you two go at your own pace. I wouldn't want to hurt you grabbing you."  
  
"Suit yourself big boy."  
  
Spring makes ample use of her simian agility to clamber up his length, to reach the tip at head level. He's starting to dribble small bubbles of pre, which she licks up while her prehensile feet play with the edges of his slit for lack of a set of balls.  
  
Unable to climb without digging in your claws to sensitive areas, you focus on the lower end for now. You kiss and lick his length, flicking your tongue into the space between his slit and his dong.  
  
>Murdoch Lewd: Disadvantage, Fingers Advantage (10)  
>Spring Lewd: (7)  
>Enzo Lewd: (18)  
Despite your two pronged attack Enzo squeezes his eyes shut and holds on, grabbing at the floor with his claws while leaning back.

* * *

  * Get in position to attempt to swallow as much of his cum as you can once he blows. Encourage Enzo to breath deeply. 
  * >not so sure this is a massage anymore  
Sure it is. Prove it with magic claws.
  * He asked for a horn massage. Is this not a horn massage?

Since the tip is out of reach, quietly slip a hand into his butt and then turn up the juice. 

  * Spring is licking the tip, let's really showcase our Dark-type mischief. While using your feet to massage him, wrap your hands around the back of Spring's neck and turn those fingers up, see how he reacts to Spring moaning full force with the tip of his cock down her monkey throat. 
    * oh jesus, do this 



* * *

You lean back while hanging onto his shaft, any dribbles of pre that escape from Spring. There's no shortage of it from his large tool.  
  
"D-deep breaths, Enzo."  
  
He listens and stops holding his breath, breaking in deeply and slowly.  
  
"After all t-this is still a horn massage, r-right?"  
  
You slide one of your hindclaws down below and curl it into a ball to keep any sharp bits away from his sensitive areas. Then you use it to probe at Enzo's rear entrance, letting your magic fingers send tingles all through his body.  
  
With one of your other claws, now hanging on only by two, you grab Spring and push her head against his head, turning your fingers up full force.  
  
>Murdoch Lewd: Disadvantage, Fingers Advantage (11)  
>Enzo Lewd: (7)  
Under your persistent care, Enzo loses his composure and blows his top. Spring is hit with a flood of dragon cum straight down her throat.  
  
>Spring Fitness: Advantage (15, 3/12)  
>Murdoch Fitness: (4)  
She manages not to choke or gag on it, gulping down her fill and then pulling her head back.The twitching of his huge cock cause you to lose your loose grip and fall on the floor under his apron. The rest of what Spring couldn't swallow pours down on you, or drips down the inside of Enzo's apron to cover your back and tail.  
  
"Oh geez. Are you guys okay down there?"  
  
Enzo unties his apron and takes it off to give you some air. Spring hops down from his shrinking shaft with a smirk.  
  
"After we walk out of here we're really going to get a reputation for this."  
  
She pats you on the cheek and steps out of the cum puddle.

* * *

  * Ask if he feels more relaxed now, take in the scent of his cum, focus on it. I don't know about Spring but we've never been fully drenched in cum before.

I wonder if she's as turned on by it as we are. She seemed to have fun, but I hope she has at least a playful grudge. I'd practically pay Spring to step on us a bit at this point. 

  * Compliment Enzo on the flavor of his cum, and let him know if he ever wants another "massage", we'll be available. 
  * Roll over in the cum puddle to look up at him and ask how he liked his massage. 
    * This. Ask for a 1-5 star rating. 
  * Back to professionalism. He's fine. Be back with money for the oven soon. Feel free to ask if you feel like another massage by then and all that. Need to find a place to wash up though. 
  * Aww, we didn't get to get ourselves off. That's good in that we've improved our endurance, but... how are we going to handle the stiffy now? 



* * *

Rolling over onto your back, you look up at Enzo, covered in his spunk. Wiping some off of your face you lick it off of your hand. It's thick and salty.  
  
"S-so how was the massage? What would you rate our s-service out of five?"  
  
Embarrassed, the bigger lizard looks away. The bases of his horns have gone from orange to blazing red. He stammers out a response.  
  
"I guess I'd g-give you a four. If you were planning on doing this you... probably should have brought some towels."  
  
Getting someone else to blush and stutter makes you feel really good. You lick your claw clean and smile.  
  
"You're n-not so bad yourself."  
  
"O-oh yeah. We should r-really wash up. And then go get you y-your money for the oven."  
  
You smell heavily of male sex, and inside your kilt you're still as hard as a rock. Spring doesn't look as hopelessly aroused, but she's definitely wet between the legs. And isn't clean of cum either.  
  
"We'd better get this off before it dries into my fur."  
  
Enzo looks around and sees the barrel of water he uses to fill his cooling trough.  
  
"You two can use that. Is that okay?"  
  
"It'll have to be."  
  
Spring climbs up the side and slips into the water, hanging onto the edges of the barrel like a tub.  
  
"Come on in. The water's lukewarm."  
  
You get in after her and she playfully dunks you under the water. You flail back up, sputtering as she plays with your still hard cock with her feet under the water. You moan and start to feel yourself lose focus, only for her to pull away at the last second leaving you aching without release.  
  
"That was for shoving my head down earlier, twerp. You can get off after you make it up to me back later."  
  
She tells you in a husky voice while Enzo awkwardly tries to wipe up the puddle with his apron.  
  
"I'll have a set of cutlery ready for you when you get back."

* * *

  * Time to head out on our rape dungeon mission then.
  * Spring has brought up how our reputation will change if we keep acting like this several times during the session. She might be more concerned than she lets out...

Enzo might think... less of us now for that; I certainly hope that isn't the case. Especially since he now knows we were planning to do that all along. How... uncomfortable.

I wonder what Gwen's gotten herself into while we were gone?

Ah, from the previous thread: we have to ask someone (preferably evolved -> ex-guild, or Hoopa) for the lore, or investigate the library if nobody is available.

We'll also need to find some place to sleep for the night. (But we won't be able to pay either... oh, dear...) Lastly, we have one delivery and two capture jobs to fulfill.

Places that were brought up in the last thread or are visitable, for future reference:

Apothecary  
Cree's jail  
Library  
Pizza Parlor  
King's Castle 

  * Either to the apothecary to prepare for the rape dungeon or to recruit the outlaw alchemist to get potions to go to the rape dungeon.  
  
>Probably should have brought some towels.  
A towel is about the most massively useful thing a mystery dungeoneer can have.



* * *

To be continued


	6. Blowing Hot Air

With Spring by your side you come out of Enzo's metalworking shop soaking wet and uncomfortably hard,crawling on all fours to hide it under your damp and freshly washed kilt.  
  
Outside you can see Gwen laying in the sun by the river and relaxing. Her ear flicks and one eye opens at jingle of bells above the door. Your pooch partner stretches and flicks her tail back and forth before coming up to you and licking you across the face.   
  
"Hope you saving some for me. Or you will start to make me jealous."  
  
She walks behind you, tail waving low and running its fluffy softness under your chin.  
  
"H-haha, yes. Oh- yeah. I-I guess I'm recovered enough to p-plow into the ground now huh?"  
  
Gwen makes a sultry growl as she sits down at your heel. Spring is watching you squirm with a smug smirk.  
  
Needing something to focus on before you accidentally push yourself over the edge with lewd thoughts, you think about the things you have left to do.  
  
"W-we should..."  
  
>Find somewhere to stay tonight  
>Visit the Apothecary  
>Look for the Zigzagoon potion dealer, who fled towards the desert  
>Deliver garden shears to the castle garden for Enzo  
>Leave town to find the outlaw rape dungeon

* * *

  * we probably need a proper dip in the (cleaner) river and then we should get those shears in 
  * It feels a bit early, and since the last session was a while ago, immediately going to bed or adventuring seems like a bad idea. Let's meet some new faces at the Apothecary.

Let's move nice and slowly so we don't drag our poor cock across the grass and get even more pent up. I'm sure Gwen and Spring won't take advantage of our situation. 




* * *

Still feeling dirty and anxious about smelling like sex around all these Pokemon with sharp senses, you crawl down to the side of the river where Gwen was relaxing and dip your head in. The cold water helps clear away the horniness more than the barrel in Enzo's shop which was warm from sitting in the smithy all day.  
  
>Murdoch Lewd: Disadvantage, Cold Water (19, 2/8)  
  
You rub the water down your neck and stomach to clean up any remaining smell of Enzo's dragon spunk. But your arousal is still teetering at a fever pitch after the icy dunk and you have to lift your rear up when walking not to drag your cock on the grass and pavement.  
  
"L-let's go to the apothecary first. The c-castle is in the middle so it- it should be on the way?"  
  
The girls walk next to you through the strangely human feeling streets of Tallspire. It's all medieval looking, but it feels so familiar and so far away at the same time it's uncanny.  
  
Pokemon you pass give you looks for your weird posture. A Torracat and Riolu in armor walking the opposite direction look back at you and you blush self consciously. Keeping your butt up high to stop your cock from dragging leaves your kilt open for a clear view of your dangling from the back by anyone who looks at you from behind.  
  
A self conscious look back shows you Spring is taking full advantage of the show and licking her lips.  
  
You thank your lucky stars when the trip ends and you get to the apothecary's shop. A hand painted wood sign marks it as stand out against the other buildings. The sign has a painting of a Spritzee's mask on it and big bold letters in hot pink that read: Kalina's Curealls.  
  
You stand up and try to keep your erection from showing under your kilt again. The embarrassing walk and public display behind you did nothing to suppress your arousal. One claw on the wooden door pushes it open.

The interior is dim and lit by candles, smelling of incense. Under the smell you detect hints of all kinds of berry scents. Wood shelves with locked glass coverings are lined with jars and bottles in all kinds of shapes.  
  
Behind the counter an Aromatisse is sitting in a tall wooden chair with velvety red cushions.  
  
"Helloooo my dears. What ails you today that miss Kalina can help with hmmm?"  
  
A deep, but melodic voice swells from the round bird's beak and she leans forward onto the counter.  
  
>Murdoch Lewd: Disadvantage (8, 18/10)  
  
The heavy smell of her perfumed fluffy gown of feathers evokes something primal in your Salandit body. Not so different from Salazzle pheromones it causes a surge of arousal and your already on edge rod spurts a gob of pre into the inside of your kilt.  
  
Kalina pushes back and holds a hand in front of her beak, the laughter that rolls through her whole body telling you she definitely saw.  
  
"Ohohoho! Forget my question dearest darling! It is Yache concentrate that you need sweet boy. We cannot have you walking like this all over town."  
  
Kalina hops down from her chair and disappears behind the counter until she walks around, waddling on broad hips that swish her natural gown from side to side with each sashay. Her pink taloned hand raps against the glass of a display case and behind it you can see a bottle of sky blue fluid with fizzy bubbles that float to the surface from her tapping. The price tag is only 10 Poke,  
  
"Natural anaphrodisiac my boy. It will quell that swell between your hips or your money back!"

* * *

  * Tell her with intense shame that you need to learn to handle your self control naturally, and that you're more in the market for adventuring potions. Keep in mind that if you were to wind up ruining an orgasm just walking through town, it'd be your own damn fault.

We are adventurers after all, not senseless perverts.

  * How much money do we have?  
We'll take some for sure. Our boy needs something to keep him from losing control. 



* * *

"I-I think this is something I need to learn to er, h-handle on my own."  
  
Nervously dancing around the poorly chosen wording, you make the bad move of trying to pull the kilt down tighter, which rubs the soft fabric against you and causes you to shudder.  
  
"Try not to hold it against him. Knockouts like us don't make it easy."  
  
Spring teases, setting a palm on her hip and rubbing Gwen behind the ear.  
  
You don't have any money to speak of. Stepstone village worked on a credit system because they had to pool all their money for major purchases from the big city and your rewards have all been berries.  
  
That reminds you though the other reason you came here. Opening your bag you present an assortment of fresh and preserved berries to the amused bird. She struts closer to take a look.  
  
"Actually m-my Guild doesn't have much Poke yet. We were ah, we hope you might buy some of our berries f-for ingredients."  
  
Kalina leans down and takes a whiff of the bag's contents.  
  
"Of course I will, of course. Always happy to lend a hand to the Guilds. Let me make you an offer."  
  
Kalina lists off how much she would be willing to pay for each kind of berry. You might be able to haggle a bit.  
  
>Sales Offers  
Oran: 60 Poke  
Pecha: 30 Poke  
Chesto: 10 Poke  
Rawst: 20 Poke  
Bluk: 10 Poke  
Shuca: 50 Poke  
Kasib: 70 Poke

* * *

  * Not familiar with all the berry effects, but I think Shuca and Kasib are non-curatives right? Should be safe to get rid of. Sell both and see if she'll throw in a bottle of the anti-aphrodesiac. 



* * *

"It sounds like Sh-Shuca and Kasib are good for potions. Do you think, you could toss in a Y-Yache juice if I sold both?"  
  
>Murdoch Intelligence: Advantage, Dealmaking (2, 13/8)  
  
"Whatever happened to... 'handling it' on your own, hmmm? Mhmhmhm."  
  
With a gentle hum, Kalina produces a key ring from underneath her gown and opens the shelf next to her to withdraw a bottle of concentrated Yache juice.  
  
You blush getting caught in your second thoughts and stammer out an excuse.  
  
"I-I mean, for emergencies."  
  
The glass bottle clinks against the wooden counter where Kalina sets it and she climbs back into her chair. From underneath she produces a jingling wooden box of coins and deposits a pile on the counter.  
  
You find a small stool for shorter Pokemon and use it to boost yourself up, foreclaws resting on the counter. The coins have numbers on them, arranged in 1, 10 and 100 values. Kalina has put down a 100, a 10, and ten 1s in front of you.  
  
"You have yourself a deal sweet boy. And if you are looking for a way to make more, I have a little job in the back that you would be just... perfect for."  
  
Kalina waits for the blush to deepen in your face and you hear Spring giggling behind your back. But before you can answer with the obvious assumptions the apothecary clears up her intentional innuendo.   
  
"You see, my glassblower is feeling under the weather. Those legs work masterpieces like the best of them but the poor dear just can't ignite his flame while he's got this cold. I would be happy to offer another 100 Poke coin for a day's work."  
  
>Work with the Glassblower  
>Pass

* * *

  * sounds good considering this is the only currency we've had recently  
spring could pitch in as well and maybe cut down the time if she was willing?  
gwen would need to tackle whatever's left on our plate, i suppose 
  * We need money, let's help out-- stuck in a cramped, hot room with Spring and Gwen sporting an erection we've been teetering at the edge with for at least an hour-- what could go wrong? 
  * yes, work with the glassblower. also we are practically obliged at this point to use an innuendo. To get back into things, give Kalina the joy buzzer.

...Spring could work with if she wanted. On the other hand, I think Gwen should take the rest of the Poke to find lodgings while we're working, since it seems we'll have to stay the night - if she'd be willing to do that.




* * *

"S-sure! Yeah! I'd love to blow your g- glass!"

Chuckling a little at yourself, you hold out one of your magic claws to seal the deal. Kalina grasps it in her brightly colored talon and you can see her shiver at the touch.

"My, my. Your... eagerness really is contagious, hmhmhm."

Looking at you through heavily lidded eyes, slowly sliding her hand back out of your lewd grasp.

You've never been great at handling your fire, so you hope Spring will be willing to help. Before you go into the back to get to work you stop to talk to your girls.

"See uh, I might need your h-help, Spring."

"What's wrong little guy, a little furnace too hot for you to handle?"

She teases you back. But she's already starting to walk past you towards the back room, and pats you on the tail as she goes.

"K-kind of the opposite."

You watch her go and then face Gwen, who has raised one of her back paws to scratch at her chin.

"Gwen, do you think you could t-take the money and find us somewhere to st-stay?"

Her cute pink paw drops back to the ground and she rubs her face under your own chin. Then she takes the pouch of coins in her mouth and pulls back with it hanging from her jaws.

"I fin ew affer."

She speaks through her teeth, turning around and giving you a nice view under her tail as she leaves. It looks like all the saucy business from today has left more than just you riled up.

The back room of Kalina's Curealls is very warm and stuffy. Good thing for you that warm and stuffy feels strangely nice to a fire type. Like relaxing in a sauna.

The room has no windows and is lit by a lantern sitting on a countertop. There's an old styled clay glassblowing furnace against the back wall. Kalina doesn't go back with you so you and Spring's only company is a long red and brown shape coiled up on top of a pile of cushions.

It's a Sizzlipede with a hot water bottle sitting on top of his head where he's sprawled out on the cushions. The red-hot tongue in his mouth flicks in and out, tasting the air, more like a snake than a centipede. He buries his face in the cushions to sneeze before speaking to you.

"Ahack, ahem. Who is it?"

His voice nasally from the cold, the poor thing sniffles after. 

* * *

  * Give introductions, ask for name, ask what needs to be done. Maybe no tingle this time. ...Out of interest, what (berries) would be used as medicine for a cold like that? 
  * Introduce yourself, and let Spring do it. The poor man is sick so JUST THIS ONCE we'll not zap his pp with good vibes. Explain you're here to help out--

And so he doesn't feel guilty about it, explain also you're still learning to use your fire and need all the practice you can get. 




* * *

"H-hey there. We're Murdoch and Spring, from Hoopa's Guild. What should we c-call you?"

You're thankful that in the dark he probably can't see the small tent in your kilt.

Purely because he's sick you decide not to give him the magical touch this time. It might not feel very good, and you don't want to catch what he's got either.

"Heard you need somebody to light a fire?"

Spring asks, standing beside you with a sure look on her face.

Uncoiling from his spot, the Sizzlipede stretches and works the creaks and groans out of his stiff body. The hot water bottle slips from the flat surface of his head and slides down when he gets up.

"Name's Ulric. Nice to meetcha. Come over here, I- ahem. Show you what needs to be done."

Crawling to the furnace, he pops open the window to show you the inside. It's a dried clay structure, made to trap in heat and bring glass to the point where it can be shaped. You notice that there is no wood or coal inside to fuel the fire.

"Normally I use my own flames. Rgh, right now I just can't get them to go hot enough. Kalina was going to get someone to bring us some wood, but couple ah fire types works just as well. Now, how good is your stamina? You're going to need to keep the flames up for a while."

Confidently slapping her chest with a flat palm, Spring smirks and professes her abilities to the client.

"I've got enough in the tank to go all day. Not so sure about pipsqueak here."

You laugh nervously and twiddle your claws together.

"I-I'm still getting used to this stuff. B-but I can still help!"

Seemingly satisfied that at least one of you is confident, Ulric bobs his head up and down and stops to contain a sneeze before opening the cabinets and bringing out his supplies.

"I have three fancy bottles to make today. The rest are basic ones. Let's get fired up for the first one."

With another sniffle, Ulric mounts the glass inside of the furnace and steps back to let you and Spring in.

Together the two of you move up to the furnace and get ready. Taking a deep breath, you both start shooting fire into the dome to heat it up.  
  
>Murdoch Power: Disadvantage (4, 8/10)  
>Murdoch Fitness: (11/10)  
>Spring Power: Advantage (3, 17/10)  
>Spring Fitness: Advantage (8, 20/10)  
  
Your flames barely reach inside the furnace as you try to keep your ember up. At least you can say you never tired yourself out even blowing with all your might. Spring however maintains a long, focused flame, carefully moving it around to heat up all parts of the glass.  
  
After the small ball of glass is molten and red hot, Ulric takes it out and blows gently into the blow pipe, careful not to strain himself and start coughing into the glass. You watch in fascination as he uses his own flat, armored back and his small dextrous legs to shape the glass, unbothered by the molten heat.  
  
"T-that's really cool."  
  
Spring slides an arm around your shoulder and waggles her eyebrows at you.  
  
"I don't think cool is the right word, kid."  
  
It's only a matter of time before the first bottle is finished. With more bottles on the way, you and Spring take deep breathes and get back to work heating the furnace.  
  
>Bottle 2  
>Murdoch Power: Disadvantage (19, 19/10)  
>Murdoch Fitness: (4/10)  
>Spring Power: Advantage (6, 2/10)  
>Spring Fitness: Advantage (14, 8/10)  
  
By the end of the second one you are out of breath, but feeling a swell of pride in your chest. Spring hadn't been able to keep up her impressive flames the whole time and needed to take a break, so you pushed yourself as hard as you could.  
  
>Bottle 3  
>Murdoch Power: Disadvantage, Tired (4, 10/12)  
>Murdoch Fitness: Tired (9/12)  
>Spring Power: Advantage (10, 7/10)  
>Spring Fitness: Advantage (13, 13/10)  
  
Having her break helped Spring get back in and she finishes the third bottle for you. With a broad smile, her little fangs poke out of her mouth and she pats you on the head.  
  
"You're cute when you're out of breath."

Hours later and the three fancy bottles are completed. They're shaped to look like berries, matching the kinds that the potions they're for are made from.   
  
>Murdoch Intelligence: Advantage, Cooking (8, 9/8)  
  
You pick them out as being for Lum, Yache and Payapa berry potions. Thinking about the potions again makes you curious.  
  
"W-what kind of berries are used to treat getting sick like this?"  
  
Coughing into his pillow after the strain of blowing the three bottles, Ulric makes a grumbling sound.  
  
"If there were a cure for the common cold I wouldn't still be sick. No, only help would be Combee honey to sooth my throat."  
  
He's coiled up in his cushion pile again while you and Spring sit on the floor, taking a break. Spring has been surprisingly professional this time with her work and your erection has mercifully gone down.  
  
Ulric sniffles and continues.  
  
"That's the three fancy bottle commissions done. Kalina is going softer on the basic bottles while I'm sick, so that's good enough for now. But... if you want to stay and help me finish the rest, I'll pitch in a little bonus for your pay myself for each bottle. It'll be less backlog after I'm over this."  
  
>Stay and keep making bottles  
>Call it a day

* * *

  * We always need more resources, and Spring seems to be enjoying showing us up-- I'd say keep going. 
  * Well, I would want to keep going, but Spring might not... ah. Spring is into bets, yes? I'm thinking... we could turn this job into such a bet. Like... "who could make more bottles". But... what would be a sufficient stake to convince her to play this game...? I hope someone else could suggest one...

On the other hand, tiredness and the disadvantage would probably make winning the bet difficult. But maybe... in Murdoch's case, losing would be the better option.

Ah... just to be safe, check the inventory to see if there are items to relieve tiredness, as well. 

    * You have Chesto berries, which help with tiredness. 



* * *

A claw on your chin, you think to yourself about Spring's kink for making bets. Making a game out of this job could make for some fun later.  
  
"S-say Spring, why don't we make it interesting?"  
  
"I'm listening."  
  
There is a sultry tone in her voice. She's caught onto your meaning immediately and pulls you in closer under her arm.  
  
"Er, w-well, I wasn't sure what to bet yet actually. Besides w-winner, the winner is who makes the most bottles. Do you have any ideas?"  
  
Spring looks at Ulric out of the corner of her eye, all too aware he is within earshot. But Ulric's eyes are closed while he rests up. She whispers to you in a husky voice.  
  
"I think Gwen already has dibs on what's downstairs tonight. How about the loser gives the winner some linguistic lessons later?"  
  
She holds up two fingers and makes lewd slurping motions between them to help get her point across.  
  
>Accept bet for oral and compete  
>Decline and do the job together  
>Use Chesto to remove tiredness?

* * *

  * Accept. No sense in wasting berries on a friendly wager we'll probably lose anyways. 
  * ACCEPT IMMEDIATELY. Go full horndog, if she sucks half as good as she runs her mouth... 



* * *

Deciding not to waste a berry, you nod excitedly. Secretly thinking to yourself this will be win-win for you no matter what. You get the sense from Spring's face that it's the same for her.  
  
"Then each of us keeps going until we fail to make a bottle."  
  
But Spring also loves to win. She gently moves you out of the way, wanting to go first. A cocky look is shot over at the Sizzlipede.  
  
"I'll give it a go first, Ulric. If you can keep up?"  
  
>Lots of rolls  
>Spring Bottle Count: 6  
  
You watch with amazement as Spring goes through many bottles over the course of the next couple of hours. These ones take less fancy artwork from Ulric, making his part go much faster and easier.  
  
Eventually even Spring starts to get out of breath and can't finish heating the next bottle. She waves you over to take over, going to flop down and lean against the side of the cushion pile.  
  
You swallow down some stage fright and get to work.  
  
>Rolls  
>Murdoch Bottle Count: 0  
  
And you are met with disappointment. A few wheezy attempts and you find you're too strained to finish even one bottle. Ulric pats you on the back consolingly.  
  
"I know how that feels. Don't beat yourself up over it."  
  
Ulric gets out a pile of money to drop into Spring's waiting palm. She has a smug look on her face and leads the way back out.  
  
"Good effort."  
  
Gwen is waiting for you outside of the apothecary's laying down. It's already gotten dark outside while you were working and Gwen yawns.  
  
"How you do?"  
  
She asks, patting the bag of coins next to her. You pick it up and open it for Spring to deposit the new ones. Gwen spent 20 and you got 160 for the bottles.

* * *

  * Weakly admit you got good practice in, but confess that Spring is by far the more experienced, and put you to shame.

You have a lot to learn from these two gals still. And that cute Noibat too. 




* * *

You reach down and scratch Gwen under the chin with a smile.  
  
"Spring did most of the- the work, r-really put me to shame."  
  
"So are we staying at the usual place Gwen?"  
  
The fire monkey steps around you and starts walking down the street already as if she knows the answer. Gwen gets up and leads you on with a brush of her tail.  
  
"Yes. Elm place."  
  
Your coin bag jingles now, more comfortably full after being paid. The homey atmosphere of Stepstone village is nice but it feels good to have spending money on hand in a real town now.  
  
Gwen and Spring bring you in front of a comfortable looking building. It has a colored glass window in the shape of an egg inside of a curled up elm leaf shaped like a hammock between two branches. Wooden letters above the window call it the Elm Cradle Bed & Breakfast.  
  
The interior of the room is wooden and rustic feeling, and it has a warm plush green rug. Three wooden tables with stools of varying heights are arranged for guests to sit at. Behind a counter is a towering and imposing Scolipede who nods in Gwen's direction as she goes up stairs to a second floor.  
  
>Go upstairs to rest  
>Go upstairs to 'rest'  
>Chat with owner

* * *

  * I have a feeling if we don't 'rest' soon the poor little guy's gonna make more promises he's gonna be too tired to keep 



* * *

Climbing up the stairs behind Gwen and Spring, the view of their rears and anticipation of what's waiting for you in the room has your once cooled arousal bubbling to the surface again.  
  
Each room's door has a handle with rough grip tape around it to help those without opposable thumbs turn them, as well as a dog door in the bottom. Gwen slips in through the flap and Spring opens the door up for the two of you.  
  
Inside it looks comfortable, with dim evening light glowing through dark green curtains that cover the single window. There is a single large bed, resting low to the floor. It's got a soft, cushy mattress and a bright green set of sheets and blankets on top of it. Unlike a human bed it is round, built more like a nest.  
  
A side table with a candle, achest with a lock on it and a pair of wooden poles with a folded length of green hammock netting complete the furnishing of the room.  
  
Gwen hops into the nest bed and curls around, looking at you with expectant eyes. Spring closes the bolts on both the door and flap to keep any interruptions, but you can't help but think about how much sound the flap must let out.  
  
"Murdoch and I made a bet back at the apothecary. I get to have fun with that adorably stuttering little mouth of his."  
  
Spring saunters over and takes a seat on the raised edge of the bed near Gwen, patting the fabric and inviting you over.  
  
"So how about we share just like old times?"  
  
Gwen growls, or more accurately purrs, approvingly.  
  
"Fine."  
  
Your knees shake, a little weak at the prospect of these two girls double teaming you. You sincerely hope you have what it takes to keep up. They've both got their eyes on you expectantly, so you'd better come up with a suggestion fast or they'll take the lead.  
  
>Gwen:  
>Missionary  
>Doggy  
>Cowgirl  
  
>Spring:  
>Cunnilingus  
>Rimming  
  
>Leash?

* * *

  * Let them take the lead. 
  * torn between doggy and missionary with gwen but i think missionary lets her lick our face while we're doing it  
and gets us access to those paws~

no reason we cant stray a bit and get a feel for whatever spring's preference is 

  * Oh... let them take the lead. If fatigue is a problem... I guess you could use the chest berries. 
    * this is as noble a cause as any to chow down on a chesto for sure 



* * *

You fumble around extracting a chesto from your bag and take a bite out of it. The crunchy texture of the berry is loud as you chew and you feel new energy flowing into your tired limbs.  
  
Spring giggles when you eat it.  
  
"Is that for energy or for precautions?"  
  
"P-precautions?"  
  
She quirks one brow and smirks. While she explains it to you, Spring gently takes hold of Gwen under her forelegs and turns her over onto her back, exposing her glistening cookie and the rows of her nipples. Gwen looks up at her, bemused.  
  
"You don't know? Chesto berries are used as birth control. Now Gwen, Murdoch has had a rough day. Why don't we let him be on top... for round one."  
  
Your knees are like gelatin at the thought of more than one round, as you remember the first time you shared a bed with Gwen. You'd only done oral, but she had orgasmed three or more times before you tired her out.  
  
Hoping not to embarrass yourself by falling all over you crawl on top of Gwen and swallow the Chesto. She looks into your eyes as your slit grinds up against her cookie and her tongue lolls out to lick you across the snout.  
  
"B-b- I don't think we're in the same egg group, a-anyways. Right?"  
  
Spring shrugs at your question and takes hold at the back of your neck, where your bandana-like fins protrude, moving her own wet, puffy entrance closer to your face. The scent of it sends instinctive blood flowing down to your nethers and your cock practically shoots out, right from your slit to holster itself in Gwen's.   
  
Gwen grunts, pleased, and holds her paws up in front of her. You take hold of them in your claws and carefully rub the soft, yet rough surface of her pink pads. Being hilted in a girl is enough to make you come back to the edge again already.

>Murdoch Lewd: Disadvantage, Paws (12, 13/12)  
  
Groaning deep in your throat, you are able to keep from blasting off early. Gwen's tight walls constricting around you don't make it easy.  
  
"Don't forget me."  
  
Spring reminds you with a scritch of her nails at the base of your neck. Bringing your snout up, you mlem against the surface of her sex with your tongue. All the berries she eats has given her fluids a pleasant taste, far better than the fishiness of your old girlfriend. Spring takes it as an invitation to move in closer, allowing your tongue free reign.  
  
Spring suddenly shudders in surprise as you feel a second, wet tongue lap up against her alongside your own. Gwen has leaned forwards and joined you, the two of you practically making out inside of Spring.  
  
"A-ah. I didn't know you were, you swing that way."  
  
Spring gasps out in shock. Gwen pulls back just long enough to reply.  
  
"Exception. I apologize, for before."  
  
"Apology acc-epted."  
  
While Spring hisses in pleasure between her teeth and Gwen rejoins you in double teaming her with your tongues, you gather enough confidence to start moving your hips. You curl your claws around Gwen's paws, pressing your palms against her pads and interlocking digits.  
  
>Murdoch Lewd: Disadvantage, Paws (3, 16/12)  
>Gwen Lewd: Advantage (1, 1/10)  
>Spring Lewd: Double Team (17/12)  
  
Your surging thrusts become rapid and erratic. Before you can stop yourself you're shooting a load into Gwen, but her walls tighten and spasm around your cock. You managed to get an orgasm out of her, in spite of your not quite quickshot.  
  
>Gwen has gained Fetish: Pawholding  
  
With the two of you orgasming, your tongues falls loose out of Spring while you pant and she gets a breather from her own two-tongued torment.  
  
"Hope you two are still good for a second round. I've never seen you go off that early Gwen."  
  
You see a bit of red blush darken inside of Gwen's ears.  
  
"I... like this."  
  
Gwen wiggles her digits between your claws.

* * *

  * We can always go for more rounds. 



* * *

Not wanting to disappoint, you pull out of Gwen with a slick squelching sound, your cookie filling settling nicely. You're already starting to go down, but maybe you can get it up again yet tonight.  
  
"I c-could use water."  
  
On wobbly feet you walk to your bag and almost trip on the kilt around your ankles, kicking it off. Taking out a canteen of water, you guzzle it down. After all day spent in a smithy and a glass blowing shop the water is warm, but your body doesn't mind.  
  
>Murdoch Fitness: (1/10)  
>Murdoch Lewd: Disadvantage, Post-Orgasm (9, 19/12)  
  
However much you try, the crash of post coitus tiredness hits you like a tidal wave. And Murdoch Junior has gone inside his slit to lock up for the night.  
  
"I-I'm all for continuing but um, I don't think my partner is able."  
  
You admit with a blush hidden by the dark scales of your face, looking down at the floor. Spring slides down into the bed and sinks into it, patting a spot between her and Gwen.  
  
"Well, I still need to finish. A bet's a bet. Gwen will just have to wait for another day to ride you like a stallion."  
  
She looks over at Gwen, who is still in a bit of an afterglow herself.  
  
"But you did a number on her. I guess she likes that ooey gooey romantic stuff."  
  
Holding a paw to her hand, Spring giggles quietly. You climb into bed between them, lying in the opposite direction so your snout is level with Spring's pussy. Leaning in, you give her a helping of your long lizard tongue, her toes curling up in the air.  
  
>Spring Lewd: Round 2 (20/12)  
>Murdoch Fitness: Tired (16/12)  
>Spring Lewd: Round 3: (13/14)  
>Murdoch Fitness: (10/14)  
  
With your best efforts, your tired tongue moves almost automatically as your eyelids droop and your consciousness drifts off to sleep. After a long and exhausting day, you succumb to sleep just as you hear Spring moan at last, and taste the flood of her berry-sweetened juices.

Your dreams are aswirl with colors. It takes you a moment to recognize the place, just in time for a soft pair of mitten-like hands to settle upon your shoulders and send a wave of pleasurable tingles through your mind.  
  
"Congratulations, Murry. Your Guild has officially gone up a rank in the competition!"  
  
Hoopa's energetic voice is accompanied by a moan that escapes your mouth, his hands working into your shoulders in an erogenous massage.  
  
"I hate to skip the foreplay, but we have a lot to talk about tonight. So let's be quick about the formalities."  
  
He spins you around to face his grinning visage.  
  
"With your Guild now at Rank E, I'm allowed to gift you a new boon."  
  
>Murdoch's Guild has reached Rank E and earned a milestone perk. Choose one:  
>Ace in the Hole: Using a specialized portal, Murdoch's butt becomes extra stretchy, able to accommodate seemingly impossible insertions. He can also hide and withdraw things from a hidden inventory space. Just remember to protect your secret treasures from cum damage.  
>Hoopa's Collar: Murdoch can make one extra golden collar at a time. It gives its wearer Experience when Indulging others' fetishes. Defeated outlaws forced to wear the collar must obey Murdoch's commands.  
>Thinking With Portals: Murdoch can create two linked portals on flat surfaces. Each portal is created separately and only becomes active when the second is made. Any new portal replaces one of the active two.  
  
>Murdoch has indulged in Spring's Bets and Double Team Fetishes, and in Gwen's new Pawholding Fetish, giving him a level up  
>Murdoch can learn Flame Burst  
>Flame Burst (Power): Causes moderate injury to one target and minor injury to enemies next to the target. Usable four times per dungeon.  
>Murdoch already knows four moves. Delete a move to learn Flame Burst?

* * *

  * Using our butt as hammer space sound fun, but I think I want to go with the portals. I found some inspiration recently.
  * I think we should get the collar. Since we're pretty much commited to hunting outlaws it will give us a lot more leeway to use captured ones in fights and engage them in lewdness safely. It's pretty perfect for our group.

Lets replace Ember for Flame Burst. If multiple opponents getting hit each get their own rolls, then it's significantly better. If not, it's a mediocre upgrade since our power attacks can't hit anyways. 

    * But stealing dicks with portals... 
      * Portals just seem tricky to work with in this medium. Its lewd uses are probably fun but one time things, and we might just end up leaving one portal open at home and using it for travel instead of more fun stuff. 
        * I have to concede, hopefully we can get portal shenanigans eventually, all of these are too powerful to waste on being able to steal one body part at a time. If we take portals, as the ability is written right now, we'd inevitably end up using it in the most boring but effective way. 
  * The collar seems to have a very practical use in that we will look fuckin styling. Also there are a lot more fetishes on the board, so the experience benefit will kick in much easier.

And I don't want any outlaws pulling some shit on us, either. 

  * I'd prefer TWP over the others, but...  
Oh, now that Hoopa's here we could ask for more information about the contest, its history, the other contestants, and whatnot. Although... he might leave without telling again.

Flame Burst should replace Ember.

  * Think with portals. Attach something square to Gwen's collar and then, boom, instant houndour. 
  * It has to be the collar. Imagine having absolute control over someone and still getting sexually bullied by them 
    * I need it.



* * *

>Ember was forgotten  
>Flame Burst was learned  
  
Still floating in the colorful space with Hoopa, ideas for ways to use your new power run through your mind. Being able to make portals is tempting, but you think you will do better with the collar.  
  
"I-it's got to be the collar, Hoopa."  
  
His soft hand reaches out again and brushes against your cheek. Hoopa grabs onto the round, golden collar around your neck and tugs you forward. You float easily through the empty space between you and into his forceful embrace. His lips lock onto the end of your snout as if laser guided.  
  
Kissing Hoopa feels more intimate this time. His tongue slides up against your own and dances with it back and forth. Before you were surprised and shocked into arousal by his magic touch, but now you feel yourself leaning into it naturally. Being held and touched and kissed doesn't feel so strange or out of reach anymore.  
  
One of your claws reaches out and wraps around the golden hoop that adorns his waist, pulling him closer as well. You feel something warm and firm press against your stomach, but before you can reach for it he grabs your arm gently and pulls it away. Hoopa's touch against your lips slips away and he floats backwards with a confident smirk.  
  
"A-are you going to do that every time I get a new b-boon?"  
  
"Only as long as I like you."  
  
Hoopa winks at you coyly, his telltale erection bobbing up and down with the rest of him as he floats on the invisible currents of this place. It's distracting enough you don't notice a new weight in your claws at first.  
  
You look down and see yourself holding another golden loop like your own. To your surprise it grows and shrinks as you move your claws along it, stretching and constricting at your will.

"You had serious business to discuss with me. But before we do I need to give you a warning."  
  
"W-warning?"  
  
When next you look up at him, Hoopa's face is more serious than you've seen it. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, seeming to calm himself and force his erection back down.  
  
"I'm only entertaining this because you seem like you mean well. The rules of the game mean I can't give you help, not this kind of help."  
  
"D-do you mean my questions about the King?"  
  
Hoopa's eyes open up and you lock onto them, deep pools of gold and green with a brilliant light inside. Hoopa floats closer to you and takes one of your claws in his palm. There is no tingling of magic fingers this time.  
  
"He might not be a rival anymore, but dethroning the King is the kind of fame that could propel you to winning immediately. If I tell you anything about him and what he can do and you decide to go try it, there's a good chance you and I will get disqualified in the final judging for the competition."  
  
His other mitten-like hand folds over your claw in his palm, enveloping it. Your eyes stay locked together.  
  
>"Do you want me to tell you what I know?"  
  
Hoopa's words feel heavy. The gravity in them tells you that this is not a decision to make lightly.

* * *

  * Dealing with king is more important then the competition. If disqualification is what it takes to stop him, that's a fair trade.
  * No, we can get information about King from other places. He's famous and well known enough that we'll eventually have find what we need, whether from people out of town, records, or former competitors. Instead can Hoopa just tell us the rules about how abilities interact with guild members in general, since it's clear that being a guild member is protecting team members from King's abilities. Rules of the competition must be fair game.
  * It's been so long, what do we know about King already? I remember him having some kind of mind control ability. I really don't want to have to deal with that, though maybe our collars can counter it? 
    * People under his influence can only think positively about him. I think it's basically the whole city he rules, but I don't recall exactly. It's like mind-control-lite. Hoopa helped Victor escape from King, but Victor wasn't freed from the influence until he joined our guild. Recently, the Morgrem guy we caught for a bounty ended up being innocent. He was accused on behalf of King because he helped someone else escape, so now we're here kinda-sorta investigating but not really committed to dethroning him yet. 
      * Finding a way to counter that that doesn't require our guild powers is priority.  
This whole situation is starting to remind me of prequel adventure.
  * Definite no on risking the competition for info, but I'm agreed on getting more 'safe' info from Hoopa
  * We need to learn how the collar actually works. It specifically says it only works on defeated outlaws, but how does it know who's an outlaw? People with bounties (which are influenced by King) or people who commit crimes in general? If the latter, would it work as well on a corrupt politician like King as it does on a thief? 
    * If it only applies to people who have bounties, we could easily put our own bounty on anyone we want to control.



* * *

After careful deliberation, you slump down and decide that no, King isn't worth throwing away the competition. Not yet. You still need to do your own investigating.

"I-I think I need to look into this on my own more. For now."

With a mixed sigh of relief, Hoopa releases your claw and lets it float back down to your side. He gets shakes off the heavy mood with a physical shaking of his arms. Before he decides to go disappearing abruptly again you try to ask some of your other questions.

"W-what about the rules? Can you tell me about them?"

With a wave of his hand in the air, Hoopa recites some things.

"Former Guild leaders who stayed here and former Guild members can't interfere with the competition. If they run a business they can still do their job and sell you things, or answer questions about their job."

"Wh-what happens to people who break the rules?"

You ask him worriedly, thinking about what risks there could be.

"If they break the rules and attack you or try to help, they get a warning. If they keep doing it Celebi will put them in timeout until the game is over. If the help was significant and you accepted it, you might get disqualified in the final judging."

His eyes look you over and see some scheming starting to brew in your posture.

"King can still defend himself if you go attack him."

"Is the interference p-policy why King's likeability power doesn't work on Guild members?"

Silence follows with Hoopa quietly thinking about how to answer. Getting some of his swagger back, the cocky legend floats next to you and puts an arm around your shoulders.

"It's a good guess, Murry."

You get the feeling that more questions revolving around King will be given avoidance. Instead you bring up a new topic.

"M- my new collar- what about that? How does it w-work? Can I put my own bounty on someone and j-just use that?"

An encouraging slap on the back causes you to roll head over heels in the floating colors.

"They have to be officially recognized as an outlaw by one of the town bounty offices. You can figure out the rest yourself."

Hoopa hangs around while you slowly spin around and reorient yourself, watching your face for any more questions brewing.

"Last call for questions, Murry. It's almost morning."

* * *

  * If it's public knowledge, we won't get disqualified if we get it from Hoopa, right?  
Who did king get his powers from?  
What are the normal weaknesses of mind effecting powers? Are psychic and dark types resistant? This can help us know the limits of our collar too.
  * if someone not recognized as an outlaw were to, say, attack us  
the collar would not work in that scenario, right?
  * For that matter, Hoopa made the collar, can't he just make it... less situational? 
    * I think he's just sharing his own abilities. He's already used the fingers and collar on us.
  * So if we want to abuse the collaw we have to either convince bounty offices that people we don't like are criminals or make our own bounty office and issue bounties at will. Neat.



* * *

"Telling me public knowledge can't get us dis- disqualified can it?"  
  
You suggest hopefully. Hoopa hums and mulls it over.  
  
"Try me."  
  
"Are psychic and d-dark types resistant to m-mind affecting powers?"  
  
Hoopa shakes his head, the golden hoops hanging from his horns jingling around.   
  
"Boons like your collar will work on them just fine if they meet the criteria. Dark types and stronger psychics can resist a psychic's powers, but I don't see Pokemon break free of a boon-given power on their own very often. Not many psychics are as strong as us legends."  
  
He says his words carefully, emphasizing 'like' your collar. So other powers must work similarly.  
  
"Somebody just a-attacking me wouldn't be an outlaw?"  
  
"No. Just a jerk."  
  
Hoopa gives you an unhelpful shrug.  
  
"W-why can't your collar just work on anybody? Can you m-make it less situational?"  
  
Laughing at your pouty look, Hoopa curls his hand around your collar again and runs it along the smooth surface.  
  
"I'm the Thief King, Murry. Thieves and outlaws are my thing. So."  
  
He leans in close to the side of your head, and whispers gently in your ear.  
  
"The naughtier you are, the closer we get. Just not too naughty, hey. Even a thief can be a gentleman about it."  
  
Then he gives you a playful pat on the cheek and floats away. You rub your cheek with your claw, dark scales burning underneath with a flush.   
  
What he said has you thinking about a different way to get a hint. The boons are related to who gives them out.  
  
"D-do you uh, will it get you in trouble to tell me who the King's patron was?"  
  
A sour groan comes out of Hoopa's throat and he rolls his eyes.  
  
"Sure. It's not like he made a secret about it. King was the champion of Victini's Guild."  
  
"Alright, Murry. That's enough questions for now. Time for you to wake up and get back to work, hey! Get out there and win."  
  
Hoopa claps his hands, and you twitch, springing up in bed.

* * *

To be continued


End file.
